Team Varanasi lifts the State-Level Handball Championship trophy

There's fresh sporting cheer in Kashi: the city's handball team has been crowned champions at the State-Level Handball Championship 2026, an achievement Uttar Pradesh's handball community has been celebrating warmly online. Handball rarely grabs the headlines that cricket does, which makes this win all the sweeter for the young players, coaches and families behind the early-morning practice and the long match days. The team's run to the title was built on the simple things — sharp passing, tireless defending and the kind of never-give-up spirit that turns a good side into a winning one. For Varanasi, the trophy is more than a medal in the cabinet. It is a reminder that the city's sporting talent reaches well beyond its famous akharas and ghats, and that disciplines like handball are quietly building a following among school and college athletes here. Wins like this give the next batch of players something to aim for, and local clubs a reason to welcome more youngsters onto the court. Heartiest congratulations to everyone in the squad — a proud moment for Banaras's growing sports scene, and hopefully the first of many.

Compiled by HelloBanaras from public sources: Uttar Pradesh Handball (Facebook)