Nasir Aslam Wani pledges support for sports development
JAMMU: Nasir Aslam Wani, Advisor to the Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, inaugurated the 18th UT J&K Wushu Championship today at the Indoor Hall Bhagwati Nagar in Jammu. The four-day event features approximately 1200 Wushu players from 19 districts, six Khelo India centers, and the J&K Police.
During the inauguration, Advisor Wani commended the Wushu Association of J&K for its efforts in expanding the sport throughout the UT, and specifically lauded Dronacharya Kuldeep Handoo for his contributions to Wushu’s success in the region. He also congratulated the medalists of the 38th National Games held in Uttarakhand, acknowledging the J&K Sports Council’s role in promoting sports in remote areas.
In his address, Advisor Wani emphasized the government’s commitment to prioritizing sports, highlighting its vital role in shaping youth by instilling discipline, determination, and self-confidence. He stated the government’s intention to transform the UT into a sports hub, encouraging parents to enroll their children in sports to deter them from drug abuse and excessive mobile phone use.
The Advisor also felicitated the medal winners of Wushu at the 38th National Games and IWUF Wing Chun medals in China. The honored athletes included:
Gold Medal: Surya Bhanu Partap Singh, Kamran Mohd Shamas
Silver Medal: Ayeera Chisti
Bronze Medal: Ishant Singh, Rohan Sharma, Saleem Kumar, Arjun Sharma
Ranjeet Karla, Vice President of the Wushu Association, delivered the welcome address, thanking Advisor Wani for his presence and support. He highlighted the achievements and growing popularity of Wushu across the UT.
The championship commenced with matches in the Sub-Junior Boys and Girls categories. Competition will continue tomorrow with Sub-Junior and Junior category bouts.
Key figures present at the event included Shri Rajeev Sharma (Member Sports Council), Touseef Raina (Mayor, Baramulla), Sadat Aslam Wani (Vice President), Ms. Ritika Singh (Manager Indoor), Pawan Deep Kour (Athletic), Maqsood Rather (Jt. Secretary), Ranjeet Singh (International Footballer), Ajay Paul Gill, and Nissar Ahmed Mir.
Kuldeep Handoo presented the vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to Advisor Wani, the guests, media, and the J&K Sports Council for their support. He appealed to the government to establish a Wushu academy in J&K, expressing confidence that Wushu athletes would achieve significant success in Asian Games and World Championships.