Kolkata: Bengal were crowned under-19 girls’ volleyball champions at the 69th National School Games after defeating defending champions Tamil Nadu in straight sets in the final at Gadarwara in Madhya Pradesh’s Narsinghpur district on Monday.
Bengal secured the title with a 25-20 25-15 25-18 win, having entered the knockout stage as group runners-up. They beat Uttar Pradesh in the pre-quarter-final, Karnataka in the quarter-final and CBSE in the semi-final to reach the final.
The tournament, held from November 13 to 17, featured 35 participating units. Bengal’s team comprised eight players from Hooghly, two each from East Burdwan and North 24 Parganas. Hooghly’s Tanisha Roy, Sushmita Pal, Rajashree Mitra and Sumana Pal, along with East Burdwan’s Ankita Das, were among the key contributors. Roy also captained the state’s under-19 school team.
The team was selected after state-level competitions and trained in a 15-day residential coaching camp in Naihati, conducted by the West Bengal State Council for School Games and Sports under the School Education Department. The coaches were Kishor Malakar and Shubhankar Chakraborty, while Hare Krishna Das and Chaitali Sarkar served as managers.
This victory came shortly after Bengal secured the under-17 girls’ volleyball title at the 69th National School Games held in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, where they defeated Rajasthan in a straight-sets final to claim their third consecutive championship in that age category. “Under the inspiration of CM Mamata Banerjee’s Kanyashree initiative, Bengal’s girls are taking the state to new heights,” said state education minister Bratya Basu.