Muzaffarapur: Two young athletes from Muzaffarpur, Jigyasa and Shagun, have earned a spot on Bihar’s team for the Under-17 National Softball Championship 2025, bringing pride to the district and the state.
The duo were selected following a 10-day state-level camp organised by the Education Department’s divisional Kilkari centre. Out of 36 participants from across Bihar, 16 girls have been chosen to represent the state in the national tournament, which will take place from May 29 to June 2.
Divisional coordinator Poonam Kumari confirmed that the selected team includes 12 girls from Patna, two from Muzaffarpur, and two from Vaishali. Jigyasa and Shagun, who study at Chapman Girls Plus 2 School and Prabhat Tara School respectively, were welcomed back to Muzaffarpur on Sunday and honoured at the Kilkari centre.
“This platform means the world to us. We didn’t imagine we would make it this far,” said the girls after their selection.
Only three students — two girls and one boy — had been sent from Muzaffarpur for the state camp. With two making the final cut, the district has made a strong mark in this year’s lineup.
State support for grassroots sports development
The Bihar government has been actively working to promote sports through initiatives like the Medal Lao, Naukri Paao scheme, under which promising athletes are offered government jobs. New stadiums are being built in rural areas to encourage talent, and physical education instructors have been appointed in both government and private schools to nurture students’ athletic interests.
