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Team of folk singers from Mahoba district bagged the gold medal by securing first place in the competitive section
In a major success in the sphere of extracurricular activities, a team from Uttar Pradesh won a gold medal at the 26th National Youth Festival organised in Hubli-Dharwad, Karnataka.
According to UP’s additional chief secretary for sports and youth welfare, Dr Navneet Sehgal, a team of folk singers from Mahoba district bagged the gold medal by securing first position in the competitive section of the national festival. Along with the gold medal, the team of six women and three men artists also received a cash reward of ₹1.5 lakhs.
A delegation of 80 students from the state participated in the national-level festival organised by the ministry of youth affairs and sports in Karnataka’s Hubli-Dharwad between Thursday, January 12 and Monday, January 16.
Artists from the state participated in two categories – folk singing and folk dance.
“A team of nine artists from Mahoba took part in the national festival and secured first position for Uttar Pradesh, winning the gold medal. The artists have made the state proud at the national level,” the additional chief secretary said.
He also said that the winning team comprising Varsha Raikwar, Sanjana, Sneha Awasthi, Meenal Soni, Kirtika Anuragi, and Eka Singh Tomar presented ‘Battle of Sirhagarh’ of Alha, a famous genre of folk singing in the state, at the festival.
While women members sang, male team members – Pawan Kumar, Radharaman, and Jitendra complimented the presentation with traditional musical instruments like jhanjh-majira, dholak, and harmonium.
Abodh Soni, the Mohoba-based instructor of the winning team, said, “Alha is often sung by male artists. The women-led team has sent out a strong message of women’s empowerment by winning the competition.”
For the first time, women artists were included in the state delegation for the national youth festivals.
Congratulating the team, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said, “The energetic and talented young friends of Uttar Pradesh have brought our folk culture to the national stage by securing first place in the folk song category at the 26th National Youth Festival-2023 held in Hubli, Karnataka. Hearty congratulations to the Uttar Pradesh team!”
The festival was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on National Youth Day, which is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand.
