Kolkata, September 11 (Daily Kiran) : The 91st All India Railway Athletics Championship began on September 11, 2026, at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) ground in Salt Lake, Kolkata. This prestigious event is being organized for the second consecutive year by the Eastern Railway Sports Association (ERSA) under the supervision of the Sports Promotion Board.
The championship was inaugurated by Geetika Pandey, the General Manager of Eastern Railway. She was joined by Neeraj Verma, the Principal Chief Operations Manager and President of ERSA, along with other senior officials.
A total of 24 teams from various zonal railways, production units, and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) are participating in the tournament. Approximately 500 athletes will compete in a range of track and field events. In her opening speech, Pandey emphasized the importance of sportsmanship, stating that participating with a true athlete’s spirit is more crucial than merely winning. She also commended ERSA for its efforts in organizing this national-level event.
During the opening ceremony, medals were awarded to the winners of the men’s 1,500-meter race, one of the first events of the championship. The event saw the presence of several distinguished athletes and coaches, including Arjuna Award winners Joseph Abraham, Jitendra Kumar, JJ Shobha, Pappu Yadav, Soma Biswas, and Saraswati Saha. Padma Shri and Arjuna Award recipient L. Bombela Devi was also in attendance, along with Arjuna Award and Dronacharya Award winner Mohammad Ali Kamar. Olympians Sanjay Rai and Bhavna Jat participated in the event as well.
In addition to the 1,500-meter race, events such as the marathon, javelin throw, high jump, discus throw, relay, shot put, hurdles, hammer throw, decathlon, and heptathlon will take place until September 13. An official noted, “Indian Railways has always promoted sports, and many of our athletes have brought glory to the country at international events. Some of these athletes are expected to depart for the Asian Games in Japan at the end of this month. This tournament will serve as excellent practice for them. ERSA is committed to making this championship a success.”
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