Bokaro: The three-day CBSE Cluster-III Table Tennis Tournament 2025 hosted by Delhi Public School (DPS), Bokaro commenced on Sunday in an atmosphere filled with sporting camaraderie. The opening ceremony was held in the school’s Ashwaghosh Kala Kshetra where 41 teams representing 18 schools from Jharkhand and Bihar assembled for the grand Opening Ceremony. The ceremony featured cultural performances, a synchronized march-past by participants and an oath-taking ceremony, formally inaugurating the tournament.
The event was graced by the presence of the Chief Guest Hemlata Bunn, District Sports Officer, CBSE-appointed Observer Asim Priyadarshi, Principal of Delhi Public School, Bokaro and President of the organizing committee Dr. A. S. Gangwar, International Referee and Chief Referee of the tournament Mr. Sandeep Saha and other dignitaries jointly lit the ceremonial lamp to mark the beginning of the tournament.
In her address, the Chief Guest, emphasized the importance of sports in a student’s life alongside academics. She remarked that sports and games are essential for both physical and mental development. “Sports are not just about winning or losing but about inspiring us to move forward in life,” she stated. She extended her best wishes to all the participating teams for their performances and appreciated the efforts of DPS Bokaro for successfully organizing such a grand event.
CBSE Observer Asim Priyadarshi highlighted the significance of participation over victory. He appreciated the students’ growing interest in table tennis in an era dominated by cricket, calling it truly commendable.
The Principal of the host school Dr. A.S. Gangwar welcomed all to the sports milieu. Stating on the global and national expansion of table tennis, he encouraged the young paddlers to play with enthusiasm and game spirit. He conveyed his best wishes to all the players and elucidated that participating at such events not only hones the sporting skills of a person but also makes them more confident, compatible and consistent in approach. He believes that every player would take back wonderful and lasting memories from DPS Bokaro.
Earlier a cultural programme was organized wherein a melodious welcome song was performed by the school choir. This was followed by a captivating dance presentation on Ganesh Vandana. Participants from 41 teams took part in an impressive march-past. The Chief Guest formally declared the tournament Open.
Over 50 games across various categories were played on the first day of the tournament. In the Under-17 Girls’ category, players from Jusco School, Kadma, Jamshedpur, secured the gold medal by defeating Vivek Vidyalaya, Chhota Govindpur, Jamshedpur, with a score of 3-0. DPS Bokaro won the silver by beating Guru Nanak High School, Ranchi, also with a 3-0 score. Vivek Vidyalaya, Chhota Govindpur, Jamshedpur won the bronze medal.
On Monday, the Under-19 Boys’ semifinals will feature matches between St. Michael’s High School, Patna, and Loyola High School, Patna, as well as between DAV Public School, Khagaul, and BNS DAV Public School, Giridih. For the Under-14 Boys’ semifinals, the first match will be between Litera Valley School, Naya Tola, Patna, and Surendranath Centenary School, Ranchi. The second match will be played between Naman Vidya, Hazaribagh, and St. Michael’s High School, Patna.
For the smooth and fair conduct of the tournament, in addition to CBSE observer Asim Priyadarshi, the technical team included International Referee and Assistant Chief Referee of the tournament Kiran Bihari Shukla, International Referee Ravindra Kumar, National Referee Lakshmi Narayan Mitra and officials Vaibhav Sharma, Suvojit Dey, Ashish Kumar Banerjee, Sahil Kumar, Parth Pratim Pramanik, Kamlesh Kumar Dubey and Ayushi Kumar Pandey.
