Eluru: Jersey team lifts DYFI Sankranti cricket tourney

Eluru: Jersey team won the DYFI Sankranti Cricket Tournament which concluded here on Thursday. Upper-11 team won runners title.

The five-day-long cricket competitions were held at Government Junior College grounds. The semi-final and final matches were held in an excited manner on Thursday.

Speaking at the prize distribution function, DYFI district secretary G Shiva Kumar said that both DYFI and SFI had been organizing sports competitions to prevent the youth from getting attracted to vices like cockfights and gambling during Sankranti festival. The organisations have been organizing Sankranti celebrations in a grand manner at 40 places in the city during the past 16 years.

He demanded that the government should act tough against organizers of cockfights during the festival time. The youth have been spoiling their careers because of these illegal activities during the festival.

Besides booking cases against organisers of gambling and cockfights, the government should also initiate action against the political leaders who have been encouraging the youth to take part in those unlawful activities. The State government should organize sports competitions on its own to discourage cockfights and gambling during the festival. He also requested the government to develop playgrounds and encourage rural sports talent to mitigate anti-social activities.

SFI district secretary K Anil Kumar, city secretary A Saratchandra, K Rakesh and others were present.

Mohan, Malik and Satyanaryana acted as umpires for the tournament.