CG continues winning streak, clinches gold by defeating MP

Raipur: Chhattisgarh men secured gold in the 46th Senior National Softball Championship by defeating Madhya Pradesh 8-0. Chhattisgarh was placed in the toughest pool of the tournament, which included last year's champions Punjab, along with strong teams like Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi.

The team began their campaign with a dominant 10-0 victory over Himachal Pradesh, followed by an 11-0 win against Jharkhand. In the third match, they defeated Haryana 6-0, securing a spot in the Super League. There, Chhattisgarh continued its winning streak, beating Rajasthan 6-0, Andhra Pradesh 6-1, and Punjab 3-0 to qualify for the semi-finals.

In the semi-finals, Chhattisgarh outclassed MP 12-1 to enter the grand final. Since MP topped its pool, they were given another chance and secured a place in the final by defeating Maharashtra.

The grand final saw Chhattisgarh delivering a stellar performance, securing a 5-0 victory over Madhya Pradesh to claim the gold medal. During the tournament, Deepak Kumar, Manas Kesarwani, Saurabh Yadav, and Aryan Tamrakar were awarded Player of the Match titles. Kumar, Tamrakar, and Yadav showcased excellent batting skills, hitting remarkable home runs throughout the competition.

Chhattisgarh women's team put on an impressive performance in the championship as they registered victories against Meghalaya (12-2), Haryana (1-0), and Himachal Pradesh (8-2) but narrowly lost to Kerala. Despite the setback, they made a strong comeback, defeating Telangana 11-2.

To stay in the medal race, Chhattisgarh needed to beat Maharashtra, the host and eventual gold medal winners. However, they lost 6-0, which eliminated them from medal contention. Nevertheless, they ended their campaign on a high note by defeating Chandigarh 11-1 to secure fifth place.