LUCKNOW, April 7 -- Currently, the frenzy of cricket-marked by fours and sixes-has completely gripped Lucknow. Amidst the excitement of the ongoing IPL matches at the Ekana Stadium, the city's sports enthusiasts are now set to experience a new wave of speed and thrills in the form of the 'UP Pro Handball League.' The bugle has sounded for Uttar Pradesh's first-ever official handball league, the grand staging of which is scheduled to take place from April 9 to 14, at the Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Multipurpose Hall within the KD Singh 'Babu' Stadium. Anandeshwar Pandey, CEO of the UP Pro Handball League, and Amit Pandey, its founder and managing director, released the match schedule here on Monday. Organized by the SN Pandey Sports Institute Trust under the aegis of the Uttar Pradesh Handball Association and in collaboration with Adi Yogi Private Limited, the league will feature six formidable teams from the state battling it out with full intensity for a prize purse of Rs 2 lakh, the coveted winner's trophy, and sheer glory. "Lucknow has currently emerged as the country's premier sports hub. Amidst the ongoing IPL matches here, we are launching the state's first professional handball league. Our objective is to accord handball the same glamour and professional platform that cricket or kabaddi enjoy today," said Anandeshwar Pandey. A total of six teams namely Kashi Kings, Mathura Braj Stars, Noida Blasters, Ghaziabad Panthers, Barbarik Warriors, and Gorakhpur Rowdies, will compete in this league. The winning team of the league will receive a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh, while the runner-up team will be richer b y Rs 1 lakh. "Every match in the league will follow a 20-2-20 minute format, ensuring a breathtaking pace of play. The tournament will feature 15 thrilling league matches contested among the participating teams. The top two teams from the league standings will face off in the grand finale on April 14 to compete for the winner's trophy and the prize money," said Amit Pandey. Each team will have iconic players like Aneesh Yadav, Nihal Jaiswal, Ankit Chaudhary, Aman Chaudhary, Mohit Yadav and Manish Tripathi. Expressing her enthusiasm, the league's Brand Ambassador and renowned actress, Sabita Kalwar, stated, "I am extremely excited to be a part of this new journey of handball-characterized by speed and passion-that is commencing in Lucknow. The spirit and determination of the players from UP are set to create a sensation across the entire country." The opening day matches in the 2nd Fazlur Rehman Memorial Sub-Junior Hockey Tournament on Monday, witnessed contrasting results. Whereas Gandhi Club Barabanki split points with Rehman XI after playing a 3-3 draw, Jaman Lal Sharma XI defeated Mohd Shahid XI 3-1. As many as three trainees of Satrughan Lal at the Chowk Stadium won bronze medals at the Classic State Powerlifting Championship in Agra. Honey Gaur won a bronze in 52 kg category in sub-junior, Yashi Srivasta bagged a bronze in 63 kg in junior category, whereas Pragya Upadhyay finished third in 84 kg category in junior category. Moradabad's Kunal Arorawon a gold medal at the Para State Table Tennis Championship on Monday to take his overall medals tally to 36, a count that includes both national and international medals. Kunal defeated Brijendra Singh from Bareilly 3-0 in the final. before that, he defeated Umesh Narayan from Baghpat with a score of 2-0 before defeating Raju Kumar from Varanasi 3-0....