The Other Side: Six sportspersons from J&K win medals for India; regionally balanced honours for Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh

Wushu Game in Armenia

DEEPAK KHAJURIA

JAMMU: At a time when the youth in Kashmir are agitating and pelting stones at the security personnel, six young men and women from Jammu and Kashmir have made the state and the country proud; they have won 6 medals for the nation at the International Wushu Tournament held in Armenia. The Indian team won a total of 16 medals in the tournament.
The team performed well in the three-day tournament in Armenia and won 5 gold, 5 silver and 6 bronze medals. Of these six medals - two golds, two silver and two bronze - were won by J&K players trained under Wushu Coach Kuldeep Handoo.
What makes this exemplary performance even more spectacular is the fact that these medal winners hail from the three Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions and two among them are women.
Jammu's Sunil Dev Singh and Srinagar's Aijaz Hassan won Gold medals, while a Kashmiri Pandit, Pankaj Raina, and Ladakhi Angmo won a Silver each. Two Kashmiri girls Jabeena Akhtar and Shabeena won bronze for the country.
"It is really a dream come true and a great honour for me, my country and the state in particular that I won a gold for India," said Sunil Dev Singh, a resident of Jammu City, who won Gold and works as a physical instructor in Delhi Public School.
The players reached New Delhi on Wednesday and are likely to reach Jammu on Thursday.
The Wushu Association and families and friends of these medal winners have made all preparations to receive them with great fanfare for bringing laurels to J&K while winning medals for the country.
Despite repeated attempts, J&K Sports Minister, Imran Raza Ansari was not available for his comments.
Sources in the government said that Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and her government can present these winners as an example before the youth involved in protests and violence.