Jaipur: LPU-Phagwara displayed an excellent performance and lifted the title of the three-day 20th All India Hanuman Singh Women’s Handball Championship 2025-26 at the Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium here on Saturday.In the summit clash, LPU-Phagwara defeated Northern Railway 26-23. The winning team was leading by 16-8 at the half-time. Hosts Rajasthan and BSF finished joint third. In the semi-finals played in the morning session, LPU-Phagwara trounced BSF 23-9 (16-8), while Northern Railways derailed hosts Rajasthan 27-25 (14-11).
Bhavna Sharma of LPU-Phagwara was adjudged as the best player of the tournament and was awarded Hanuman Singh Trophy and a cash prize of Rs 5100.The chief guest at the closing and prize distribution ceremony was deputy commissioner, Jaipur Development Authority, Rajendra Singh Sisodiya. The ceremony was presided over by Rajasthan State Handball Association (RSHA) patron Mahendra Sharma. Special guests were Balotra Handball Association president Madan Singh Khinchi and CA Mukesh Agarwal. Honorary secretary of RSHA Yash Pratap Singh, treasurer Lokesh Sharma, and joint secretary Bhanwar Balveer Singh Rajawat were also present on the occasion.Ten teams participated in the tournament organised by Rajasthan State Handball Association and Hanuman Singh Foundation under the aegis of Handball Association of India and sponsored by AU Small Finance Bank, Indian Oil and Chirkli and a total of 23 matches were played.Yash Pratap Singh, Honorary Secretary of the State Handball Association, said that the best players in all seven positions in the competition were given cash prizes of Rs 2,100 each.Best Goalkeeper: Pooja Jat (Rajasthan)Best Right Back: Monica Nain (Northern Railway)Best Center Back: Shivani Devi (Himachal Pradesh)Best Left Back: Shalini Thakur (LPU-Phagwara)Best Right Wing: Priyanka (LPU Phagwara)Best Pivot Player: Priyanka (Northern Railway)Best Left Wing: Rukmani Bithu (Rajasthan).He informed that Indian women’s handball team head coach Sachin Choudhary (Indian Railways) and coach Manisha Rathore (Rajasthan) were also honoured on this occasion.The judges and technical officials of the competition Chandan Thakur (Himachal Pradesh), Jitendra Singh (Delhi), Kirti (Telangana), Bhagwan Singh Mevanagar (Rajasthan), Chandrashekhar (Rajasthan), Uttam Singh Shekhawat (Rajasthan), Poyush Chaudhary (Rajasthan) were also felicitated.
