AVNL Chairman Cup 2024 was inaugurated in a gala ceremony at the Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (VFJ), on Tuesday. Chief guest on the occasion was Chief Managing Director of Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL), Chennai, Sanjay Dwivedi while Rajesh Choudhary, Director General, Ordnance Directorate, Kolkata was the special guest. Besides this, C Ramachandran and Satyabrata Mukherjee, Directors of AVNL; S S Prasad, CGM/Ordnance Factory Medak; Sukanta Sarkar, EDO/FJ, SP Decate, Controller CQA and Rachna Bhola, President of the VFJ Women's Welfare Committee were especially present. The ceremony was chaired by Sanjeev Kumar Bhola, Chief General Manager, VFJ. AVNL Chairman Cup 2024 is being organised from October 15 to 20, featuring sports events like Motor Sports, Athletics, Kabaddi and Contract Bridge competitions.

 

The athletics competitions were inaugurated at the hands of CMD, Sanjay Dwivedi. Players from various factories including Heavy Vehicle Factory Awadhi, Engine Factory Awadhi, Ordnance Factory Medak, hosts Vehicle Factory Jabalpur and Machine Tool & Prototype Factory Ambarnath participating in their respective disciplines. The inauguration ceremony took place at the VFJ Sports Stadium, where Sanjeev Kumar Bhola welcomed Sanjay Dwivedi and other distinguished guests with bouquets. Following this, chief guest and other dignitaries performed the ceremonial lighting of the lamp to mark the official start of the event. Sanjay Dwivedi also raised the AVNL flag, symbolising the formal commencement of the sports festival.

 

The inauguration was further enhanced by cultural performances, including a Karma Dance and Ahir Dance by Kadamb Foundation, Jabalpur and a State Malakhamb presentation by the Jabalpur Malakhamb Association. Ankur Vidya Mandir students also mesmerised the audience with their beautiful dance performance. During the inauguration, the guests participated in a symbolic run at the VFJ stadium, boosting the morale of all players. Besides this, the ‘Running Shield’ and the ‘Trophy of Power’ were showcased. The Trophy of Power, crafted from the piston of a T72 tank engine, will be awarded to the winners of the Motor Sports competition. This unique trophy represents strength, capability, and craftsmanship, honouring the exceptional performances of the winners.

 

As a symbol of VFJ’s importance as a key defence production unit in the Mahakoshal region, a large balloon was released into the sky, named ‘Mark of Dominance’, which will remain on display at the VFJ ground throughout the Chairman Cup. The event was attended by senior officials including Kamlesh Kumar (GM), A K Rai (GM), Ashutosh Kumar (GM), Lt Col Rupinder Singh (Senior Security Officer), Rahul Sharma (DGM), Pranav Priyank (DGM), S P Kushwaha (Manager), Vipul Bajpayee (Manager), Shailendra Singh, Golu Jhariya, Subi Samuel and a large number of employees and officials. The event was conducted by Shweta Johari Gupta (Manager) and Mohan Kumar Sahu (Junior Translation Officer).