PANAJI: The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) on Saturday launched CM Trophy 2.0, unveiling the official logo and opening registrations for the statewide sports and cultural championship aimed at bringing together over one lakh youth from across Goa. The event will kick off with a marathon across the newly constructed Zuari Bridge on November 22.
Announcing the initiative at a press conference in Panaji, Saligao MLA and GTDC Chairman Kedar Naik said the first edition of the CM Trophy, held in 2022, had attracted nearly 45,000 registered participants. The BJYM is now targeting more than one lakh registrations for the second edition.
"The CM Trophy was introduced for the very first time in 2022, witnessing nearly 45,000 registered participants and proving to be an exceptionally successful event across Goa. For CM Trophy 2.0, our registration target is 1,00,000-plus youth, and we are confident of crossing that mark," Naik said. The championship will feature five sporting disciplines: cricket, football, volleyball, badminton and carrom, along with cultural competitions such as group dance, fugdi, ghumat aarti, street play, solo singing, rangoli and painting.
BJP Goa Chief Spokesperson and Vasco MLA Daji Salkar said the initiative was aimed at providing young people across the state with a common platform to showcase their sporting and cultural abilities. "CM Trophy 2.0 is not merely a sports tournament; it is a platform for our youth to exhibit their potential, compete at multiple tiers, and stay closely rooted in Goa's rich heritage and cultural identity," Salkar said.
The event will begin with a marathon on November 22 across the newly constructed Zuari Bridge. Participants can register for three categories: a 21-km half-marathon, a 10-km run and a 5-km run. Marathon registrations will close on November 19. Registrations for the sports and cultural competitions will remain open until November 25. Constituency-level registrations will be processed between November 26 and December 1, with competitions scheduled across the 40 constituencies from December 1 to 10. Winners from the constituencies will qualify for the state-level rounds, scheduled between December 10 and 13, with the grand finale set for December 13.
Salkar said registrations would be facilitated through dedicated links being shared across BJYM's social media platforms. Yuva Morcha workers would also reach out to young people across the state to encourage participation. Apart from team-based competitions, individual awards will be presented to outstanding performers, including the best singer, best ghumat player and best kasale player. Registrations for the inter-collegiate street play competition will begin on November 28, after colleges reopen.
Responding to a question on whether the CM Trophy was being organised primarily ahead of elections, Salkar said the BJP's grassroots activities continued throughout the year. "BJP karyakartas do not work only at the end of five years. Our work continues 365 days a year across all five years. We do not need to show up just before elections; our karyakartas are consistently on the ground connecting with households through developmental initiatives, welfare schemes and public service," he said.
He added that BJP MLAs organised football, cricket, carrom and cultural tournaments in their respective constituencies every year, while the CM Trophy brought these activities together on a larger, statewide platform. On concerns over the availability of proper sports grounds in some constituencies, Naik said BJYM workers would mobilise to identify, prepare and clear grounds wherever required to ensure that competitions could be conducted.
