2-day wrestling meet from today; CM Yogi to attend valedictory event

Gorakhpur: A two-day state-level wrestling championship will be held at Gorakhnath Temple from July 28.Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will attend the final day of the competition on July 29 to encourage athletes and present awards to the winners, said district wrestling association president and international wrestler Dinesh Singh at a press conference on Sunday.The event, organized with the support of the Uttar Pradesh Sports Department and the District Wrestling Association, will feature nearly 300 wrestlers, including several international-level athletes. The championship will be conducted in three categories: Uttar Pradesh Kesari, Uttar Pradesh Kumar, and Veer Abhimanyu.The event will be inaugurated by state sports minister (Independent Charge) Girish Chandra Yadav around 12.30pm on July 28 . Winners of the UP Kesari and UP Kumar titles will receive Rs 1.01 lakh and Rs 1 lakh, respectively, along with a traditional mace (gada), while runners-up will get Rs 51,000. Two third-place winners in each category will receive Rs 21,000 cash reward. In Veer Abhimanyu category, the winner will receive Rs 51,000 and the runner-up Rs 25,000. Two third-place winners will receive Rs 11,000 each.All participating wrestlers will also receive Rs 500 per bout, along with free lodging, meals, travel reimbursement, and other allowances as per sports department norms.