New Delhi, January 29th, 2024: Sports For All (SFA), India’s leading tech-enabled multi-sports school competition platform, today commenced with New Delhi’s inaugural edition of the SFA Championships. With record participation of athletes across the city, SFA Championships aims to unveil the city’s best sporting talent, discover the ‘number one school in sports’, and enable a platform for future champions to compete on a professional platform.
The opening day of the SFA Championships was held on the grounds of Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range (KSSR), DDA Squash and Badminton Stadium, and Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming Pool Complex, all equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure.
Reflecting on the profound impact of sports on youth, Mrs. Manmohan Kaur, Advisor to the Cost Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India, shared “Sports serve as a cornerstone in the holistic development of individuals, fostering not just physical well-being but also providing essential life skills such as discipline and teamwork. Witnessing the passion and determination exhibited by these budding athletes, I believe such championships are important in empowering talent and promoting a culture of sportsmanship and excellence,.for our country.”
The pulse of the competition resonated through the air as the crack of rifles and pistols set the tone for intense contests. Participants, ranging from U-12 to U-16 boys and girls, showcased their precision with the peep sight rifle and air pistol.
Vani Chauhan, a talented U-17 Shooter from Manavsthal School, shared her journey filled with dedication and triumphs “Seeing my cousin sister excel in shooting sparked my interest, and I’ve been practicing for 2.5 years. I started in Gurgaon and later moved to Delhi for nationals. Winning bronze across key competitions was a huge motivation to pursue further in sports. My aim is to play at the national level like my idol, Rhythm Sanghwan. Her journey inspires me, and discovering SFA Championships made me realize it’s a great platform for shooters like me.”
Simultaneously, the squash courts echoed with the rapid movements and strategic plays of athletes across the U-9 to U-19 categories. Young swimmers plunged into the water with determination, competing in U-12 to U-15 categories of backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.
Results for Day 1
| Age group | Event | Gender | Winner – Athlete & School – SFA ID | Runners up – Athlete, School | Second Runner up – Athlete & School | Details of the win (Winner Record) |
| U-13 | Singles | Male | Amarya Bajaj, Delhi Public School | Jaivir Sinh, Shiv Nadar School, Gurugram | Kiday Gupta, Pathways World School, Gurugram | 3-0 |
| U-11 | Singles | Female | Saanvi Khatari, Kothari International School Noida Sector 50 | Naina Verma, Shiv Nadar School, Gurugram | Anika Bhatia, Pathways World School, Gurugram | |
| U-17 | Singles | Female | Devashree Arora, Lotus Valley International School, Gurugram | Vani Thind, Kothari International School Noida Sector 50 | 3-0 | |
| U-15 | Singles | Female | Anya Sood, Kendriya Vidhyalaya RK Puram Sector 8 | Maira Ghosh, Vasant Valley School | Riddhi Khanna, Pathways World School, Gurugram | 3-0 |
| U-9 | Singles | Male | Samar Saksena, Shiv Nadar School, Gurugram | Abrahem Rauf, Pathways World School, Gurugram | ||
| U-14 | 100 M Backstroke | Female | Surymann Mahalwal, B.V.N. Pushp Vihar | Dushyant Sharma, Delhi Public school, Morta | 01:33:00 | |
| U-14 | 100 M Backstroke | Male | Priyanandini Thakur, D.L.F. Public School | Manasvi Kashyap, Queen Mary’s School Tis hazari | Riya, Kendriya Vidyalay | 01:50:03 |
| U-16 | 100 M Backstroke | Male | Yatharth Singh, Delhi Public School, Mathura Road | Daksh Sharma, Delhi Public School, Morta | Divyansh Baid, Pathways World School, Gurugram | 01:34:06 |
| U-12 | 50 M Backstroke | Female | Samaira Bhatty, Pathways World School, Gurugram | Trisha Singh, Delhi Public School, Morta | Aadya Soni, Shiv Nadar School, Gurugram | 00:56:21 |
| U-14 | 100 M Breastroke | Male | Niel Tripathi, D.P.S. Vasundhra | Dushyant Sharma, Delhi Public school, Morta | 01:49:19 | |
| U-14 | 100 M Breaststroke | Female | Ira Gaur, D.L.F. Public School | Samayra Yadav, Pathways World School,Gurugram | Manasvi Kashyap, Queen Mary’s School,Tis Hazari | 01:41:05 |
| U-16 | 100 M Breastroke | Female | Lavani Pradhant, Pathways World School, Gurugram | Keisha Bhutiya, Pathways World School, Gurugram | Aarya Saud, Pathways World School, Gurugram | 01:55:03 |
| U-12 | 50 M Breastroke | Female | Shrija Verma, Birla Vidya Niketan | Samaira Bhatty, Pathways World School, Gurugram | Rushda Siddiqui, St Andrews Scots Sr. Sec. School | 01:03:57 |
| U-19 | Air Pistol | Boys | Hardik Bansal, Manav Sthali School, New Rajendra Nagar | Saras,Sham Rock International School | Tanish Sheoran, Dwarka International School | 373 |
| U-19 | Air Pistol | Girls | Chhavi Singh, Gyan Mandir Public School | Sanchi Goel, Springdales School, Dhaula Kuan | Riddhi Verma, Manav Sthali School, New Rajendra Singh | 366 |
SFA Championships is poised to make sports accessible for school athletes across the country, thereby empowering today’s talent to become the Champions of tomorrow. The journey to represent the country at the Olympics is what SFA Championships is enabling for emerging athletes.