Ranchi, Oct 2026 : Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren attended the closing ceremony of the 15th All India Police Archery Championship 2026-27, held at the Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium in Khelgaon, Ranchi.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister felicitated police teams and archers who delivered outstanding performances in the competition. He appreciated the participants for their excellence, discipline, dedication and sporting spirit, and wished them a bright future. He encouraged them to perform well at national and international levels and bring laurels to the country and the state.
Addressing the gathering, Soren said that Jharkhand had earned the honour of hosting the prestigious championship, which was a matter of pride for the state. He observed that sports promote discipline, self-confidence, concentration and a competitive spirit. He urged the archers to continue striving for excellence through regular practice, hard work and dedication.
The Chief Minister also felicitated Ankita Bhakat, an archer from Tata Archery Academy. Under her leadership, the Indian archery team won a gold medal at the Asian Games, bringing pride to the country. Soren praised her achievement and encouraged other players to draw inspiration from her success.
Women's and Men's Category Winners
The teams that delivered outstanding performances in the championship were:
Women's Category
First Place: Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) — 37 points
Second Place: Uttar Pradesh Police — 34 points
Joint Third Place: Assam Rifles and Border Security Force (BSF) — 23 points
Men's Category
First Place: Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) — 53 points
Second Place: Uttar Pradesh Police — 22 points
Third Place: Rajasthan Police — 21 points
The Chief Minister congratulated the winning and runner-up teams, as well as the archers who performed exceptionally well. Wishing the participants success in their future endeavours, he said that sports were not limited to winning or losing but also played a vital role in character-building and strengthening discipline, teamwork and self-confidence.
Soren expressed confidence that the participants would continue to excel in the future and enhance the prestige of the country and Jharkhand. He also congratulated the organisers on the successful conduct of the championship.
The ceremony was attended by Chief Secretary Avinash Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary Vandana Dadel, Director General of Police Tadasha Mishra, and Meena Bharti, an Indian Police Service officer representing the All India Police Sports Control Board (AIPSCB).
Other dignitaries present included Additional Director General of Police Priya Dubey and Additional Director General of Police Manoj Kaushik, along with other board officials, senior police officers, distinguished guests, members of the organising committee and archers representing various police teams.
