Soreng, December 26 : The 18th Sikkim State Boxing Championship, 2021 was officially inaugurated at the Soreng Senior Secondary School premises today.
The Minister (Power And Labour Department), M.N Sherpa graced the event as the Chief Guest while M. P. (Lok Sabha), Indra Hang Subba accompanied him as the Guest of Honor along with MLA (Soreng- Chakung), Aditya Golay, Advisors, Chairpersons, President (Sikkim Olympic Association) and Officials as esteemed guests.
Organized by the Sikkim Amateur Boxing Association in association with the West District Boxing Association, the tournament is being hosted for four days under three main categories:
Elite (Senior) Men/ Women
Youth Men/ Women
Junior Men/Women
Addressing the gathering, M.N Sherpa extended his warm greetings to everyone present. Keeping his speech short, he said that our athletes must take such tournaments as an inspiration to be able to represent their State on National and International stages. Citing the example of legendary boxer, Muhammad Ali, Shri Sherpa said that an athlete must incorporate self-discipline and stay focused to achieve their dreams.
He also suggested the Boxing association to identify and analyze the reason for talented players quitting the sports at early stages. Adding to this he said that training camps can include games and quizzes to bring awareness about the sport and the sportsmen. He encouraged young minds to play the sport in good spirit while keeping aside their personal animosity regardless the outcome of the match. Minister Sherpa concluded his speech by extending his best wishes to the players and to the organizing committee for a successful completion of the tournament.
Earlier, MLA Aditya Golay briefly addressed the audiences wherein he warmly welcomed the distinguished guests and dignitaries. He spoke on the Government’s vision to support and promote raw and talented young athletes and how such talents can take advantage of such opportunities. He quoted that the tournament is a step towards inspiring budding minds to take sports as a career choice. He finally thanked the organizing committee for their relentless efforts and contribution towards the successful hosting of the event.
Prior to the speech, the President of Sikkim Amateur Boxing Association, Jaslal Pradhan had presented a brief report on boxing history in the State. He enumerated all the achievements and success stories of the Association. He also congratulated Smt. Sandhya Gurung for being conferred with the prestigious Dronacharya Award. He also expressed his sincere gratitude towards the Chief Minister, Shri Prem Singh Tamang for providing all the necessary support and aid in hosting the event.
On the outset, the Organizing committee presented a token of appreciation to the Chief Guest, M.N Sherpa, Guest of Honour, Indra Hang Subba and the MlA, Aditya Golay.
(IPR)
