The J&K Sports Taekwondo Association made the Union Territory proud by clinching an impressive 14 medals at the National Muay Thai India Championship, held from April 25 to 27 at the Sports Complex, Sector 42, Chandigarh.
The championship, organized by the World Boxing Council Amateur Muay Thai India, saw participation from 190 athletes representing 19 states across the country.
A 15-member contingent from J&K, led by Anil Nanda (Hall of Fame Awardee) and Girls’ Team Manager Ronika Rathore, delivered an outstanding performance, securing 6 gold, 7 silver, and 1 bronze medal.
The gold medal winners were Samarth Gupta (Jodhamal Public School), Aree Bhat (British International School), Rajveer Gupta (British International School), Bhumiksha Sharma (British International School), Divya Chitrangada (Shemfort Futuristic School, Birpur), and Cheryl Pachnanda (Presentation Convent School, Gandhi Nagar).
Silver medals were won by Mehar Choudhary (Heritage School), Jayani Suri (British International School), Rajnandni Gupta (British International School), Anshuman Singh Jamwal (Heritage School), Taarush Bamba (Jodhamal Public School), and Viraj Singh (Heritage School).
During a felicitation ceremony, Dr Farooq Abdullah, President of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference and former Chief Minister of J&K, congratulated the team for their achievements. He emphasized the importance of nurturing young talent and providing quality coaching to help athletes excel at national and international arenas.