Tribal players from Bijapur power CG to glory in national sub-junior softball

Raipur: Chhattisgarh clinched a historic gold in the girls' category and a bronze in the boys' section at the 38th Sub-Junior National Softball Championship, held in Haryana from January 9 to 12. Tribal girls and boys from Maoist-hit Bijapur district played a decisive role in powering the state to glory.For Chhattisgarh softball, the tournament marked a watershed moment. The girls' team clinched its first-ever gold medal, while the boys returned with bronze, and at the heart of both achievements were young tribal players from Bijapur, one of the state's most conflict-affected districts.The victorious team featured 5 tribal players from Bijapur, whose performances proved decisive throughout the tournament. The team stamped its authority early, thrashing Himachal Pradesh 10–0 and Jammu & Kashmir 9–0. A narrow 3–2 league-stage loss to hosts Haryana briefly halted their momentum, but the setback only strengthened their resolve. Chhattisgarh bounced back emphatically, defeating last year's silver medallists Andhra Pradesh 13–3, followed by gritty wins over Kerala (1–0), Madhya Pradesh (3–0) and Rajasthan (3–1) to storm into the final.In the title clash against Haryana, the girls from Chhattisgarh produced a commanding performance, avenging their earlier defeat with a 9–3 victory. Once again, it was tribal talent from Bijapur that made the difference.Shilpa Marpalli, with 2 towering home runs, led the batting charge, while pitcher Anuradha Kovasi delivered a match-defining spell to choke Haryana's scoring. Asmita Marpalli impressed with her sharp slides, while Sapna Khalkho from Jashpur displayed remarkable grit, completing crucial catches despite sustaining an injury. Triveni Marpalli and Rinki Hemla, both from Bijapur, also made valuable contributions.The gold-winning squad represented a wide cross-section of the state, with players hailing from Bijapur, Jashpur, Bemetara, Rajnandgaon, Durg, Raipur and Kawardha, underlining Chhattisgarh's growing grassroots strength.The boys' team, edged past Maharashtra to win the bronze medal which included 3 tribal players from Bijapur, also delivered an impressive campaign. Chhattisgarh began with emphatic victories over Goa (15–0) and Gujarat (8–0), followed by dominant Super League wins against Madhya Pradesh (5–0) and Punjab (12–0).The boys' squad featured Rahul Ekka, Sumit Khalkho and Vimlesh Ekka from Jashpur; Lakshya Nishad, Surya Kadti and Abil Michcha from Bijapur; Shubham Sen, Pankaj Meravi and Chandresh Kumar Korram from Kabirdham; Lokesh Nayak and Sumit Sabarwal from Raipur; Aryan Patel from Durg; Ramanand Mishra from Korba; Rohit Rajput from Rajnandgaon; and Komal Patil and Raju Nishad from Bemetara.Sopan Karnewar, coach at the state-run Bijapur Sports Academy, said the achievements reflected years of effort by the district administration to identify sporting talent from remote, conflict-hit areas and provide structured training alongside education."The district administration used to pick talented children from interior villages and train them in sports of their choice while ensuring their schooling," Karnewar told TOI.He recalled the journey of Surya Kadti, one of the youngest players in the boys' team. "Surya lost his parents in a Maoist attack around 2015. The CRPF rescued him and brought him to us," Karnewar said, adding that the boy's rise to national-level competition symbolised how sport can transform lives in violence-affected regions.Bijapur deputy collector Narayan Gavel, also the district's sports in-charge, said that following state govt directives, the administration was building platforms for children in this Maoist-hit region to steer them away from deviation. "This hostel accommodation is funded by the DMF, ensuring sustained support for their development," he affirmed.