Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu graced the occasion during a T-20 cricket match played between IAS-XI and IPS-XI at Bishop Cotton School (BCS) in Shimla and honoured the victorious team, IAS-XI, with a winner’s trophy. “Young individuals should engage actively in sport activities as it teaches valuable life lessons.
Sports bring discipline and focus in our life, besides making us physical fit and healthier,” stated the Chief Minister while inaugurating the match, adding: “Games are helpful in relieving the stress of daily busy life and also keep one away from drugs.” Sukhu said that the government is committed to bolstering sports culture in the state and emphasized the remarkable achievements of athletes from Himachal Pradesh who are consistently bringing laurels to the State through their outstanding performances in various sports at the national and international levels.
Bishop Cotton School Cricket Match
IPS-XI fell 47-run short of the target as they scored 167 runs chasing a daunting target of 214 runs. Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu presented the Man of the Match trophy to Abid Hussain Sadiq, who scored impressive 82 runs and took a crucial wicket for the winning team. Vivek Chahal from IPS-XI was adjudged as the Best Batsman for his outstanding 59-run performance, while Apoorav Devgan of IAS-XI was awarded the Best Bowler trophy. For IAS-XI Sumit Kimta scored 35 runs and Vivek Bhatia contributed 32 runs.
Shalini Agnihotri took two crucial wickets for IPS-XI team, whereas Ashok Rattan was the second top scorer for IPS-XI with 47 runs. BCS Director Simon Weale bowled to the Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in the warm up, showcasing their shared passion for the sport. BCS Sports teachers, Cricket Coach Lokpal Thakur and Amod Talwalkar, served as umpires. The BCS students also displayed their outstanding musical talents on the occasion.
Rural Development and Panchayti Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sunder Singh Thakur, Chairman, Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Board, Raghubir Singh Bali, Chief Minister’s Principal Advisor (Media) Naresh Chauhan, former MLAs Satpal Raizada and Surinder Kaku, Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, DGP Sanjay Kundu, Headmaster of BCS School Mathew P. John and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.