GUWAHATI: The second edition of Khel Maharan concluded on Tuesday, April 8, with Jorhat emerging at the top of the final medal tally. The multi-district sporting event saw participation of 7,098 athletes across Assam.
ALSO READ: Man Arrested In Assam’s Hailakandi For Performing Dangerous Stunt On Railway Track
“Heartiest congratulations to all the champions of #KhelMaharan2 for their stellar performances,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa posted on X. “The huge participation has made it a success. Your passion, grit and spirit make this grassroots movement truly special.”
According to the medal tally released on the concluding day, Jorhat secured the first rank with a total of 32 medals, including 12 gold, 15 silver and five bronze. Kamrup (Metropolitan) followed in second place with 23 medals, which included nine gold, four silver and 10 bronze.
Dibrugarh and Kamrup (Rural) districts both ended with a total of seven medals each. However, Dibrugarh secured the third position due to its higher bronze count. Sivasagar was placed fourth with 12 medals, including four gold and eight bronze, but no silver.
Relatedly, one controversial incident regarding the event took place, as a cycling competition held at Sonapur near Guwahati on April 5, descended into chaos following multiple crashes caused by faulty bicycles allegedly provided by the state itself.
An official from the Directorate of Sports and Welfare, speaking to GPlus, downplayed the seriousness of the incident: “In a competition where there is mass participation, such kinds of mishaps do occur. There was no fault with the cycles. Even in national-level competitions, such incidents have been reported.”
Secretary to the Sports & Youth Welfare Department Kausar Jamil Hilaly further blamed the accidents on the athletes' ignorance about handling the imported bicycles. "Why would we provide poor equipment," he told GPlus. He said athletes were not allowed to use their own bicycles to ensure standardisation. "Cycles were made available for practice prior to the event, and then it began, " he said.
