Sports in Jharkhand

Sports Authority of Jharkhand

Sports Authority of Jharkhand (SAJHA) is an organisation set up to promote and encourage various sports activities in this region. It aims at creating awareness among the younger generation regarding the importance of physical fitness and well-being that can be attained through active participation in various sports activities, yoga and other techniques. It is responsible for organising various events, tournaments, sports activities and training sessions for the people here, and to implement various policies proposed by the state government and central government, from time to time, regarding the development and promotion of sports activities in this region. This organisation is responsible for various events and activities in Mega Sports Complex, Birsa Munda Football Stadium, PYKKA and other upcoming sports camps and centres.

Infrastructure for Sports in Jharkhand

Popular Sports in Jharkhand

Football in Jharkhand

Cricket in Jharkhand

Cricket is one of the most popular games played in Jharkhand. Formerly called as Bihar cricket team, the Jharkhand Cricket Team actively participates in various cricket tournaments and has won awards. Established in the year 1935 as Bihar Cricket Association, Jharkhand State Cricket Association is known to have produced many eminent personalities in cricket, who by their stupendous performances have made our country proud. Formed in 2000, it is affiliated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and is considered to be the governing body for various cricket related activities in the state. JSCA International Cricket Stadium and Keenan Stadium are the most popular stadiums here, where a number of national as well as international cricket matches are played.

Jharkhand State Cricket Association
Address: Keenan Stadium, P.O. Box No. 68, Jamshedpur – 831001, Jharkhand
Phone No: (0657) 2432722, 2233950, 6571067
Telefax: (0657) 2432722
Email: jsca_keenan@rediffmail.com
Website: https://www.cricjharkhand.org/

Jharkhand Premier League

Jharkhand Premier League (JPL) is an initiative of the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA), along with Elite Sports Management (ESM), that aims at nurturing the budding cricketers and giving an impetus to cricket in Jharkhand. Jharkhand Premier League has five teams, from different parts of Jharkhand, namely, Bokaro Bulls, Dhanbad Diamonds, Jamshedpur Jaanbaaz, Ranchi Rangers and Singhbhum Shers. Its inaugural edition was played in March 2011 in the international stadium at Ranchi. The event proved to be a grand success and saw about 100 players, bought at the auction that was telecast live. Varun Aaron, Saurabh Tiwary, Ishank Jaggi were some of the remarkable players remembered for their action in the JPL.Varun Aaron one of India’s fastest bowlers played for the Singhbhum Shers while Saurav Tiwary played for the Bokaro Bulls and Ishank Jaggi for Ranchi Rangers. In the first semi – finals, Singhbhum Shers defeated Ranchi Rangers whereas Jamshedpur Janbaaz gained victory over the Dhanbad Diamonds in the second semi – finals. In a nail – biting finish, Singhbhum Shers emerged victorious over Jamshedpur Janbaaz by 27 runs and earned the status of the winner of the first edition of the Jharkhand Premier League.

Hockey in Jharkhand

Jaypal Singh Munda was the captain of Indian Olympic hockey team in 1928. His team won the 1st Olympic gold medal for hockey in Amsterdam(Holland). Sylvanus Dung Dung, Manohar Topno, Michael Kundo, Vimal Lakra, Sumrai Tete, Masira Surin, Kanti Ba are some other prominent names in this field.Ashunta Lakra (sister of Vimal Lakra) is captain of Indian Hockey team.

Boxing in Jharkhand

Sports Venues in Jharkhand

The state of Jharkhand is home to numerous stadiums and sports venues, where a number of tournaments and national as well as international matches are organised. With superior infrastructure and excellent ambience, these stadiums provide a conducive atmosphere to the players as well as the spectators.

JSCA International Stadium Complex

Established in 2010, with a capacity of about 40,000, it is one of the best stadiums in the entire country. The two Hill Stands – East and West Hills are special features of this stadium that makes it unique, as it is the first of its kind in India. In addition to the main match ground, there is a practice arena and practice ground, members arena, media stand, tennis and basketball courts, swimming pool and spa for the members, 35 suites for guests, corporate hospitality boxes, cricket academy and many other facilities distinguish this stadium from others of its kind. A number of ODI, IPL 6, IPL 7 and Champion League Matches have been hosted here.

Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium

Keenan Stadium

Mohan Kumar Mangalam Stadium

Other Stadiums in Jharkhand

Famous Sports Persons in Jharkhand

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Born in Ranchi, this Indian cricketer and captain of Indian national cricket team, is one of the most popular sports personalities at the national as well as the international level. His ODI and Test records prove that he is one of the most successful Indian captains till date. He led the Indian cricket team to victory in 2011, in the ICC Cricket World Cup, after a gap of 28 years. A right handed batsman and a wicket keeper he has won numerous awards including the ICC ODI Player of the Year twice, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Padma Shri. His immense talent and achievements have made him an inspiration for the budding cricketers.

Varun Raymond Aaron

Varun Raymond Aaron is a popular Indian right-arm fast bowler from Jamshedpur. He was initially a part of Jharkhand U-19 and Jharkhand Ranji team after being spotted by a talent scout when he was a part of MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai. He is known to be one of India’s fastest bowlers. His first One Day International (ODI) for India was in October 2011 for the India-England ODI series. He made his Test debut the following month. His IPL debut was made in the year 2011 for the Delhi Daredevils. He is currently a part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL and has been signed by the Durham County Cricket Club for the 2014 County Championship.

Deepika Kumari

Deepika Kumari, from Ranchi in Jharkhand is an athlete, who is currently ranked No. 2 in the world in Archery. After receiving her training in Tata Archery Academy in Jamshedpur she won the World Championship title in 2009. Later, she participated in a number of national and international tournaments and has won numerous medals including two gold medals in 2010 Commonwealth games, gold medal in Archery World Cup stage 3 in 2013, silver medal in 2013 FITA Archery World Cup and many others. She won the Arjuna Award in 2012, and FICCI Sportsperson of the year Award in 2014.

Premlata Agarwal

A native of Jharkhand, Premlata Agarwal is the oldest Indian woman to have scaled Mount Everest. She is also credited for being the first Indian woman to complete the seven summits and the first person from the state of Jharkhand to scale Mount Everest. She was trained by Bachendri Pal and was known for her penchant for mountaineering. She has her name mentioned in the Limca Book of Records and has also been awarded Padmashri by the Government of India.

Jaipal Singh Munda

Adventure Sports in Jharkhand

Apart from the regular sports activities the scenic beauty and topography of Jharkhand makes it an ideal spot for adventure sports. Adventure lovers can opt for rock climbing, parasailing, paragliding, hot air balloon, kayaking, canoeing, mountaineering, trekking, jungle safaris etc. Water sports like water skiing, paddle boat, rafting, scuba diving, sailing, snorkelling in Jharkhand are also quite enjoyable and must try activities for the visitors.

For the nature lovers, rock climbing in Chaibasa, Hazaribagh, Netarhat, Dasam, Sikidiri in Ramgarh and Khandoli Hills offer a unique and enchanting experience. One can enjoy the scenic beauty and the picturesque views of the surroundings. For hot air balloon head off to Jamshedpur, Deoghar, Giridih, Morabadi, Ranchi, where hot air balloon shows are arranged for the tourists, interested in admiring the nature’s beauty from the sky. You can go for trekking and forest safaris through the dense and thick forest covers of Jamshedpur and Giridih. There are activities like hot air balloon, paragliding, parasailing, aeromodelling, hilltop paragliding at Morabadi ground in Ranchi, Deoghar in Jamshedpur, Giridih, for the adventure lovers.

Kanke Dam is one of the most preferred destinations to indulge in some spectacular water sports activities. With its scenic surroundings and natural beauty, it leaves the visitors enthralled and raptured. Rukka Dam, Patratu Dam and Dimna Lake are few other options, if you wish to indulge in canoeing, kayaking, water skiing and other activities. The tourism department is taking utmost efforts to develop various facilities for adventure sports in Jharkhand and its efforts are being rewarded as Jharkhand is fast emerging to be one of the most sought after tourist centres for nature lovers as well as adventure seekers.

2011 National Games of India

The 34th National Games of India was held from 12 February 2011 to 26 February 2011, in Jharkhand, where a total of 35 different games were held in the three cities namely, Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad in about 21 venues. The opening ceremony held at Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium in Ranchi by the then Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda. The opening ceremony was characterised by oath taking by Deepika Kumari, a short film on Jharkhand’s hero - Birsa Munda, arrival of mascot - 'Chhaua’ – a symbol characterizing Jharkhand tribal communities, a laser show featuring various sports icons of the state, namely archer Sanjeeva Singh, cricket skipper MS Dhoni, and hockey players Jaipal Singh Munda, Samurai Tete, Sylvanus Dung Dung.

Services Sports Control Board (SSCB), a team comprising of the Indian armed forces, managed to win the title by 70 gold medals. Manipur won 48 gold medals and was given the best state award. The state of Jharkhand won a total of 96 medals, including 33 gold, 26 silver and 37 bronze medals. The closing ceremony had taken place in the Birsa Munda Athletic stadium in Ranchi, accompanied by various events, including folk dances and cultural shows of Jharkhand.

Sports Awards in Jharkhand

Various sports awards are given away by the Jharkhand government on the occasion of Sports Day on 29th August to felicitate and boost the morale of national and international level players from the state, who have brought laurels to the country. The event is organised by the Arts, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs Department of Jharkhand. The awards are named after various sports heroes in Jharkhand, known for their remarkable achievements and contribution to various sports - Birsa Munda, Jaipal Singh, Albert Ekka, Abdul Hamid and Anmol Aind. In each category, a male and a female are awarded. Birsa Munda award is given to national and international level players who have made the country proud, while Jaipal Singh Award is given to the trainers and coaches for excellence in their training. Albert Ekka Award is given for lifetime achievement in various sports, while university and college students who perform well in various sports activities will be awarded with Abdul Hamid honour. Anmol Aind award is given to felicitate school children for their exemplary performance in various sports activities. In addition, a Player Welfare Fund has been organised in Jharkhand to provide grants and concessions for the needy yet deserving sportsmen here.

Also Read: Sports in Ranchi | Sports in Giridih | Sports in Jamshedpur | Sports in Dhanbad