Summary
National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets from all over the state gather on the Park Street college grounds after a two-year break
St. Xavier's College, Kolkata, declared champion; Asutosh College and 33 BN NCC runner-up
Members of the National Cadet Corps from colleges across the city engaged in camaraderie and played football, volleyball, tug of war, throwball, badminton at Khel, an initiative by the St. Xavier’s College National Cadet Corps (SXCNCC) to bring cadets from other battalions together in healthy competition.
Khel promotes interaction among cadets and instils a culture of sportsmanship and camaraderie among them.
The cadets returned to the grounds after a gap of two years. The preliminary round of the two-day tournament was held on April 3 and the finals on April 10.
Seven battalions, including the 33 Bengal Battalion NCC, 1 Bengal Composite Technical Regiment NCC, 1 Bengal (Girls) Battalion NCC, and five colleges — St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata; St. Xavier's College, Raghabpur; Asutosh College, Hiralal Majumdar College and Ramakrishna Mission Residential College took part in the competition.
St. Xavier’s College was the overall champion, while Asutosh College and 33 BN NCC finished as runners-up.
Suhana Basu, a third-year Multimedia and Animation student of St. Xavier's College, admitted it was a difficult challenge to start over after two years of lockdown. “There were several setbacks, but we had to carry on the legacy that our seniors had established. The event was a success because of the unity, will, and determination demonstrated by my juniors, batchmates as well as seniors,” she said.
“After two years of watching NCC parades online, it was time we were on the ground. Khel has been a platform for us to demonstrate true sportsmanship spirit as cadets,” said Purnima Prasad, a third-year Political Science student, who is a senior under officer at NCC, Asutosh College.
The grand finale on the Park Street campus of St. Xavier’s College was attended by Lieutenant Colonel S.M. Mukhopadhyay, commanding officer of the 20 Bengal Battalion (BN) (NCC); Subedar Major of the 20 Bengal BN (NCC); Honorary Lieutenant Deu Bahadur Thapa, and Permanent Instructors Staff of the 20 Bengal BN (NCC).
The Black Alpha Squad performed Lathi Khela, an ancient West Bengal martial art form, at the Khel opening ceremony.
“Sponsorship, approvals, invitations, logistics, sports coordination and practice typically take more than a month to prepare for Khel. The fifth edition of Khel, on the other hand, was planned and executed in just 15 days. With no prior experience, we were only propelled onward by our own determination and the advice of our seniors,” said Company Quarter Master Sergeant Harshit Verma, who is also a part of the organising committee, St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata.
“The event was a huge success. SXCNCC hosted over 500 cadets who participated in a variety of events. We hope that Khel will grow into a massive event for all battalions and units in Kolkata. The event should be held every year in the same manner,” said Major Atish P. Mondal, associate NCC officer and professor in charge of Khel.
Last updated on 24 Apr 2022
