Purnia: A violent altercation broke out between two youth sports teams in Purnia late on Wednesday night, leaving several players injured. The incident occurred on a bus carrying the winner and runner-up teams of a torch sports competition organised under the Bihar Sports Talent Search Scheme.
According to reports, a dispute arose during the journey home, which escalated into a physical fight. Players from both teams kicked and punched each other, resulting in injuries to around half a dozen participants. All the injured have been admitted to Purnia’s Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), with one player, Pooja Kumari, being referred to a higher-level medical centre due to the severity of her condition.
The injured include Nisha Kumari, Shweta Kumari, and Pooja Kumari from the Banmankhi team, and Captain Suruchi Kumari, Gunja Kumari, and Chhoti Kumari from the Kenagar team.
Shweta Kumari of Banmankhi’s Under-16 team said the altercation began after her team, the competition winners, were celebrating their victory and creating social media posts. She alleged that Kenagar players, the runners-up, became angry and attacked her team, singling out Pooja Kumari in the assault.
Kenagar captain Suruchi Kumari presented a different version, stating that Banmankhi players had provoked the confrontation by making objectionable comments and teasing her team. Suruchi emphasised that she had previously competed at district and state levels and had never engaged in such behaviour.
Authorities, including District Sports Officer Daisy Rani and local police, arrived at the scene and are investigating the incident. Statements have been recorded from both teams to determine the cause of the clash.
