The Kolhan University recurve archery team on Saturday qualified to participate in the Khelo India University Games, a national tourney, hosted by KIIT University in Bhubaneswar.
The five-member Kolhan varsity recurve team comprises Sourav Mukhi in men’s, and Komalika Bari, Basanti Birua, Anjali Gond and Suman Purty in women’s.
The national level games tourney, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via videoconferencing in Cuttack on Friday, saw archery events on Saturday in Bhubaneswar.
Thirty universities with 165 archers are competing at the tourney on the Archery Ground Campus in Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
After the qualification round on Saturday, the recurve team of Kolhan University will gear up to face the elimination round on February 24.
The qualification round witnessed Komalika Bari scoring highest in her category with 665 points.
Others in the women’s category were Basanti Birua with 591 points, Anjali Gond with 529 points and Suman Purty with 599 points.
Sourav Mukhi scored 639.
Kolhan varsity contingent manager R.K. Choudhary said he was happy that the recurve archers had performed well on Saturday.
“The qualification round went off well. We shall now be competing to stay in the tourney. The Association of Indian Universities is responsible for nominating players in each of the four archery events, recurve for men and women, and compound for men and women,” he said.
He said that Kolhan University won the All India Inter University (Men & Women) Championship organised by the Association of Indian Universities in December 2019.
Kolhan and especially Jamshedpur have another connection with the Khelo India University Games.
Originally from Jamshedpur, lyricist Zeest (pen name of Biswadeep Sen) has written the lyrics for the Khelo India University Games anthem, Khelenge Shaan Se. Playback singer Sona Mohapatra performed the games anthem at the opening ceremony on Friday in Cuttack.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Zeest said it was wonderful working with composer Ram Sampath. “I have tried to keep the sporting spirit in the lyrics. It is very different from the lyrics in films or pure poetry of pure format but it was fun and challenging,” Zeest, who now resides in Mumbai, said.
