Sunbeam Varuna Wins Overall Crown at CBSE East Zone Girls’ Boxing Meet

VARANASI: Sunbeam School Varuna returned from Pratapgarh with the overall championship after finishing at the top of the points table in the CBSE East Zone Girls’ Boxing competition.

The tournament concluded at New Angels Senior Secondary School and brought together school boxers in the under-14, under-17 and under-19 categories. Sunbeam Varuna collected 52 points across the divisions, comfortably ahead of Shah Faiz Public School, Ghazipur, which finished second with 27. BSKD Public School of Nawada, Bihar, placed third with 23 points.

The result reflects depth rather than one standout bout. In a team championship, medals across several weights and age groups add to the overall score. That requires a school to field prepared boxers through the draw, manage recovery between bouts and keep younger athletes composed in an unfamiliar arena.

Mahika Arya of G D Goenka Public School, Darbhanga, was named best boxer of the competition. The individual recognition is separate from Sunbeam’s overall title and underlines the spread of talent across participating schools. Gold medals were awarded in multiple categories to athletes from different institutions; the championship table should not be read as a claim that every winner represented the Varanasi school.

The closing ceremony was attended by guests including Dayaram Maurya and Roshan Lal Umervaishya, according to the organisers’ report. Winners received medals and certificates after the final bouts.

School boxing has grown more structured, but safe coaching remains non-negotiable. Headguards, correctly fitted gloves, medical checks, weight-category discipline and stoppages by qualified officials are part of the sport, not optional formalities. Young athletes also need recovery time and an environment where reporting pain is treated as good judgement rather than weakness.

For girls, access can be the largest barrier. A boxing programme needs appropriate changing space, regular practice slots, transport and families who understand the difference between supervised sport and an unsafe fight. When a school invests in those basics, competitive success can follow without reducing athletes to a medal count.

Sunbeam Varuna’s 52-point finish gives Varanasi a strong result at the east-zone level. The next step for the medal winners will be to review their bouts, improve technique and prepare for higher competition rather than rush back into hard sparring. Coaches can now use the bout sheets to build individual training plans for the season ahead. For the younger boxers watching from the stands, the more lasting message is that the pathway exists: a school gym in Varanasi can lead to a regional ring and a place on the podium.