Uttar Pradesh Athletes Dominate Opening Day of 36th North Zone Junior Athletics Championship in Prayagraj

By Editor in Chief On Sep 24, 2025

Prayagraj: The 36th North Zone Junior Athletics Championship got underway on Tuesday at the historic Madan Mohan Malviya Stadium in Prayagraj, with host state Uttar Pradesh making a powerful statement on the very first day.

The state’s young athletes outperformed their rivals across multiple events, showing dominance in as many as 12 individual competitions across various age categories.

UP Athletes Shine in Different Age Groups

In the Under-20 category, athletes like Vikesh Singh, Ashish Sharma, Vanshika, Pratima Verma, Suhani Singh, and Sapna Devi stole the spotlight with their commanding victories.

In the Under-18 group, Priyanshu and Rajat Kumar impressed with their performances, while in the Under-16 division, the medals went to Hariyant Pindwal, Priyanshu, and Ellis Vikal. The youngest participants in the Under-14 category also saw Uttar Pradesh’s Vijay Raj clinching victory in his discipline, further boosting the host state’s tally.

The three-day championship promises high-voltage competition, but the first day clearly reflected Uttar Pradesh’s strength on home ground.

Formal Inauguration of the Championship

The event was formally inaugurated by Justice Gautam Chaudhary of the Allahabad High Court, who declared the games open. Alongside him, City Magistrate Vinod Singh joined in honoring the medal winners by presenting them with their awards.

Renowned athletics coaches Mohammad Rustam Khan and Satyendra Singh extended a warm welcome to the dignitaries, while Deputy Sports Officer Devi Prasad delivered the vote of thanks.

The event also saw the presence of Narendra Kumar, Secretary of Uttar Pradesh Athletics Association, Babadeen Chaudhary, and former basketball player R. S. Bedi, among other officials and sports enthusiasts.

Detailed Results of Day One

Under-20 Boys’ Events

100m Sprint: Vikesh Singh (Uttar Pradesh) took gold, followed by Varun Sharma (Punjab) and Manjit Singh (Himachal Pradesh).
800m Race: Mohit Mangat (Punjab) bagged first place, with Manav Besoya (Delhi) and Abhishek (Uttarakhand) finishing behind him.
5000m Race: Shekhar Chaudhary (Delhi) emerged victorious, while Saurabh Rawat (Uttarakhand) and Sachin Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) claimed silver and bronze, respectively.
Pole Vault: Ashish Sharma (Uttar Pradesh) secured gold, followed by Manish Maurya (Uttar Pradesh) and Ankit (Delhi).
Discus Throw: Vansh Deswal (Haryana) topped the chart, Ayush (Uttar Pradesh) came second, and Sahil Kadian (Haryana) took third.
4x400m Mixed Relay: Team Uttar Pradesh C (Vikesh Singh, Lalji Yadav, Neeraj Raj, Shiksha Kushwaha) dominated, while the Chandigarh A team came second.

Under-18 Boys’ Events

100m Sprint: Pankaj (Uttarakhand) won gold, with Ashish (Himachal Pradesh) and Jatinder Singh (Punjab) in second and third.
High Jump: Priyanshu (Uttar Pradesh) excelled, with Bhavishya (Uttar Pradesh) and Harman Singh (Punjab) close behind.
Discus Throw: Shivam Rana (Chandigarh) took gold, Gurkirat Singh (Punjab) silver, and Rehan Chaudhary (Uttarakhand) bronze.
Javelin Throw: Rajat Kumar (Uttar Pradesh) and Adarsh Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) secured the top two spots, while Utsav Tyagi (Uttarakhand) placed third.
1000m Sprint Medley Relay: Uttarakhand G (Pankaj, Lalit Mohan Sati, Akshay Dabare, Vikrant) claimed victory, followed by Delhi B and Chandigarh A.

Under-16 Boys’ Events

60m Sprint: Hariyant Pindwal (Uttar Pradesh) finished first, with Rahul Raj Mahto (Delhi) and Pushpendra (Delhi) in second and third.
80m Hurdles: Priyanshu (Uttar Pradesh) stood out, while Ravinder Singh Atwal (Punjab) and Tanish (Uttar Pradesh) followed.
Shot Put: MR Dev (Haryana) dominated, Navjot Rathi (Uttar Pradesh) and Jeevesh (Delhi) settled for silver and bronze.

Under-14 Boys’ Events

Javelin Throw: Vijay Raj (Uttar Pradesh) clinched first, with Ajay Vishwakarma (Uttar Pradesh) second, and Vinay Singh Aithani (Uttarakhand) third.

Under-20 Girls’ Events

100m Sprint: Preet Kaur (Punjab) topped the race, with Aditi Dhiman (Uttar Pradesh) and Ritu Bangari (Delhi) securing the other podium finishes.
800m Race: Vanshika (Uttar Pradesh) won gold, followed by Aditi Thakur (Himachal Pradesh) and Bhavana Negi (Uttarakhand).
5000m Race: Pratima Verma (Uttar Pradesh) bagged gold, with Moni (Haryana) and Harpreet Kaur (Punjab) behind her.
Long Jump: Ritika (Haryana) excelled, while Harshita Narayan (Delhi) and Priyanka Yadav (Delhi) took silver and bronze.
Discus Throw: Suhani Singh (Uttar Pradesh) emerged champion, with Sonam (Punjab) second.
Javelin Throw: Sapna Devi (Uttar Pradesh) grabbed gold, with Muskaan Patel (Uttar Pradesh) as runner-up.

Under-18 Girls’ Events

100m Sprint: Heeral Saini (Chandigarh) clinched gold, followed by Soni Kumari (Uttar Pradesh) and Jahnavi Sharma (Jammu & Kashmir).
High Jump: Gungun (Himachal Pradesh) won, with Khushboo (Delhi) and Shivangi Chaudhary (Uttar Pradesh) trailing.
Discus Throw: Ishika (Delhi) finished first, Anjali Duhan (Chandigarh) second, and Sunita Negi (Uttarakhand) third.
1000m Sprint Medley Relay: Haryana C team (Mahak Shyoran, Davinder Kaur, Nikita, Monika) emerged winners, with Chandigarh A and Delhi B finishing second and third.

Under-16 Girls’ Events

Shot Put: Ellis Vikal (Uttar Pradesh) dominated, with Pallavi Singh (Uttar Pradesh) and Bahar Sharma (Uttarakhand) following.
60m Sprint: Jasmeen Kaur (Punjab) stood first, with Kashish (Punjab) and Anushka Pal (Delhi) securing second and third.
80m Hurdles: Swasti Rawat (Delhi) grabbed gold, Jaskaranpreet Kaur (Punjab) silver, and Apoorva Gurjar (Uttar Pradesh) bronze.

Strong Start for Uttar Pradesh

The opening day clearly demonstrated the strength and depth of Uttar Pradesh’s junior athletics talent. With multiple podium finishes across nearly all categories, the host state has set the tone for the championship and built strong momentum for the days ahead.

#Prayagraj #JuniorAthletics #NorthZoneChampionship #UttarPradeshAthletics #TrackAndField #YouthSports #IndianAthletics #SportsInIndia #AthleticsChampionship #MadanMohanMalviyaStadium