Bilaspur । The two-day ‘SECL Nari Shakti Sports Festival 2025’, organized at the headquarters of South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), Bilaspur, concluded grandly at Vasant Vihar Sports Ground in a dignified and enthusiastic atmosphere. More than 300 women participants actively took part in 28 different sports and recreational events during the festival.
The valedictory ceremony was graced by the presence of SECL Chairman-cum-Managing Director Harish Duhan and President of Shraddha Mahila Mandal, Shashi Duhan. The chief and distinguished guests were accorded a traditional welcome with the presentation of saplings on their arrival at the sports ground.
Also present on the occasion were Director (Technical Operations) N. Franklin Jayakumar, Director (Human Resources) Biranchi Das, Director (Finance) D. Sunil Kumar, Chief Vigilance Officer Himanshu Jain, along with Vice Presidents of Shraddha Mahila Mandal—Anita Franklin, Hasina Kumar and Vinita Jain.
In the competitions, Red House delivered an outstanding performance to clinch the winner’s title, while Purple House finished as the runner-up, missing the top position by just one point. A close and thrilling contest was witnessed between the two teams.
The chief and distinguished guests observed the badminton final match and encouraged the participants. Finals of fun games such as tug of war, matka race, lemon-spoon race and jalebi race were also held, providing immense enjoyment to both participants and spectators.
During the ceremony, winners and runners-up of various sports events were felicitated with prizes by the guests.
Addressing the gathering, Chairman-cum-Managing Director Harish Duhan said that women power is the real strength of any organization and the nation. Such events strengthen confidence, team spirit and leadership qualities among women. He emphasized that women empowerment at SECL is not just an idea, but a continuous process of implementation, and the ‘Nari Shakti Sports Festival’ is a strong reflection of this commitment. He added that the festival, organized under the aegis of Shraddha Mahila Mandal, is a unique and meaningful initiative that brings working women and homemakers together on a common platform.
He further informed that similar Nari Shakti Sports Festivals are being organized across various SECL areas, with the grand finale scheduled to be held in the Hasdeo Area in the coming days.
The programme was compered by Priyesha Chourasia and Dr. Sanjeevani Panigrahi, while the vote of thanks was delivered by General Manager (Welfare) Shyamala Rao.