Sports Are a Powerful Medium to Strengthen Harmony, Discipline and Team Spirit – Revenue Minister Tankram Verma

Late Kuldeep Nigam Memorial Cricket Tournament: Electronic Combined Eleven Crowned Champions

Raipur, February 2026 : Sports are not merely a means of competition but a powerful medium to strengthen mutual harmony, discipline, and team spirit, said Revenue Minister Tankram Verma while addressing the closing ceremony of the Late Kuldeep Nigam Memorial Inter-Press Cricket Tournament. The tournament was organized under the Raipur Press Club’s Khel Madai 2026 initiative, where the Electronic Combined Eleven emerged as champions.

Speaking at the event, Minister Verma said journalists act as the mirror of society, and when they step onto the sports field, they convey a message of healthy competition and positive energy to the wider community. He congratulated the organizing committee for the successful conduct of the tournament and expressed hope that such sporting events would continue regularly in the future.

The final match was played at Netaji Subhash Stadium. After winning the toss, Vistaar News opted to bat first and scored 60 runs in 12 overs. Chasing the modest target, the Electronic Combined Eleven reached the total in just 7.1 overs. Hemant Dongre (14 runs), Tilak Sahu (12 runs), and Laxman Lekhwani (17 runs) played key roles in guiding their team to victory. For his outstanding all-round performance, Hemant Dongre was adjudged Man of the Match, while Sanjay Singhdev received the Player of the Series award for his consistent excellence throughout the tournament.

The captain of the winning team, Mohan Tiwari, received the championship trophy along with a symbolic cheque of ₹51,000 and gold medals. The runners-up were awarded a cheque of ₹41,000 and silver medals. The semifinalist teams—S. Jarno and IBC 24—received ₹21,000 each along with bronze medals.

Several individual awards were also presented. Ravi Miri was named Best Batsman, Rishi Netam Best Bowler, Lavindra Pal Singh Best Fielder, and Mukesh Daryab Best Catch. Pramod Mishra, Yogesh Mishra, and Sandeep Pradhan were honored with the “Shatak Veer” title for scoring centuries, while ten players received the “Ardhashatak Veer” trophies for half-centuries.

The closing ceremony was attended by Sanjay Shrivastava, Chairman of the Civil Supplies Corporation; Vishw Pratap Tomar, Chairman of the Youth Commission; Pankaj Jha, Media Advisor to the Chief Minister; Shirish Mishra, Member of the State Information Commission; along with several senior journalists and distinguished citizens.

Organizing Committee Chairman Mohan Tiwari informed that additional sports competitions would be organized under Khel Madai 2026, and following cricket, indoor games would commence soon. The sporting spirit and camaraderie displayed by journalists throughout the tournament were widely appreciated.