Mandhardevi athletes win relay gold and silver at state school meet in Boisar

Wai: The state-level school athletics meet for boys and girls under 17 was held recently in Boisar in Palghar district. Athletes from the Mission Lakshyavedh centre, run under the Mandhardevi Athletics Foundation in Mandhardev, performed strongly. They won two team medals and two individual medals, raising the name of Mandhardevi in sport.

The girls' under-17 4x100 metres relay team won the gold medal. The winning team included Hansika Tupe, Dnyaneshwari Jadhav, Anushka Nikam, Shreya Sawant and Swarali Jagdale.

The boys' 4x400 metres relay team also performed well and took the silver medal. The team comprised Harshvardhan Pawar, Shravan Gadhave, Vighnesh Chikane, Abhay Mandhare and Shreyash Bobde. In the relays, the girls thus won gold and the boys silver.

In individual events, Anushka Nikam won silver in the 400 metres hurdles. Vaishnavi Dere won bronze in the 3000 metres race walk. Anushka Nikam thus took both a relay gold and a hurdles silver.

All of these athletes study at the New English School, Mandhardev, and Kisan Veer Mahavidyalaya, Wai. Alongside their studies, they are trained morning and evening for daily practice at the foundation's Mission Lakshyavedh centre. Sports coaches Rajguru Kochale and Rekha Kochale are guiding them.

The athletes have shown through their performance that players from villages and remote areas can succeed at the state level if they get proper training, disciplined practice and steady guidance.

District sports officer Pallavi Dhatrak, chief sports officer Sanskruti More, Kaleshwari Shikshan Prasarak Mandal president Dharmaji Mandhare, secretary Dattatray Mandhare and New English School headmaster Dhondram Wadkar congratulated all the successful athletes and their coaches. Members of Team Wai, villagers and the trading community also congratulated them and wished them well for the road ahead.