Kerala High Court Judges, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas and Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan Shine as Winners in 1st All India Judges' Badminton Championship at Orissa High Court
Safiya Malik
The Orissa High Court successfully hosted the 1st All India Judges' Badminton Championship-2025 on January 4 and 5, 2025, under the patronage of Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh. The event took place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Cuttack, with the aim of fostering camaraderie among Judges from various High Courts across the country, while promoting the importance of sports and physical fitness within the judiciary. The Championship also sought to carry forward the objectives outlined in the recently concluded Chief Justices' Conference.
The inauguration ceremony, held on January 4, 2025, was presided over by Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh. The event witnessed the presence of several Judges from the Orissa High Court and numerous participating Judges representing High Courts across India. The Championship was marked by enthusiastic participation from Judges who demonstrated their dedication to fostering both physical fitness and interpersonal connections within the judiciary.
The following Judges from various High Courts participated in the tournament:
- Orissa High Court: Justice Savitri Ratho, Justice Mruganka Sekhar Sahoo, Justice Radha Krishna Pattanaik, Justice Aditya Kumar Mohapatra, Justice V. Narasingh, Justice Sanjay Kumar Mishra, Justice Chittaranjan Dash, Justice Sibo Sankar Mishra
- Punjab & Haryana High Court: Justice Alok Jain, Justice Sanjay Vashisth
- Madras High Court: Justice N. Satish Kumar, Justice V. Bhavani Subbaroyan, Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan, Justice C. Saravanan
- Kerala High Court: Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas
- Jharkhand High Court: Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay, Justice Ananda Sen
- Andhra Pradesh High Court: Justice K. Sreenivasa Reddy, Justice Venkateswarlu Nimmagadda
The Championship culminated in competitive matches that showcased the athletic prowess and sportsmanship of the judicial participants. In the Badminton Singles category, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas of the Kerala High Court emerged as the winner, while Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan, also of the Kerala High Court, secured the runner-up position. In the Badminton Doubles category, the team of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas and Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan of the Kerala High Court won the title, with the team of Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan and Justice N. Satish Kumar of the Madras High Court finishing as runners-up.
Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh presented trophies and mementoes to the winners, runners-up, and all participating Judges. The award ceremony was attended by sitting Judges, former Judges of the Orissa High Court, and other dignitaries who gathered to commend the efforts and achievements of the participants.
