Bandipora, August 11: The two-day ASMITA District Wushu League Bandipora concluded on Tuesday at Universal Educational Trust, Bandipora, with more than 350 girls participating over the two days. More than 200 athletes took part on the opening day, while around 150 participated on the concluding day, representing various schools and clubs across the district.
The league featured women athletes from sub-junior, junior and senior categories across nine weight divisions, providing them an opportunity to compete at the district level, showcase their talent and gain valuable competitive exposure.
DySP Bandipora Shri Vasu Agarwal attended the closing ceremony as the chief guest, while Dr. Farooq Ahmad, Chairman of Universal Educational Trust, was the guest of honour. Brand Ambassador of Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, Padma Shri awardee Faisal Ali Dar was also present on the occasion.
Addressing the participants, Vasu Agarwal appreciated the initiative and highlighted the importance of martial arts for girls, particularly at a time when concerns over crimes against women and girls are increasing. He said sports such as Wushu can help girls develop confidence, physical strength and self-defence skills. He also appreciated Bandipora’s growing sporting culture and lauded the efforts of Faisal Ali Dar in bringing such sporting opportunities to the district.
Faisal Ali Dar thanked the Wushu Association of J&K for providing technical support for the league, including deputing certified referees for the competition. He also expressed gratitude to the Sports Authority of India, Wushu Association of India, Government of India and Universal Educational Trust for their support.
The league also served as a talent identification platform, with the best-performing athletes to be selected for the upcoming UT-level Wushu competition, where they will get an opportunity to represent Bandipora.
In the Sub-Junior Girls 32 kg category, Nazrana Majeed of Universal Educational Trust won gold, Heerun Nisa from Shadipora secured silver and Humaira Shafi of Universal Educational Trust bagged bronze. In the 42 kg category, Uzma Qadir from Shadipora claimed gold, followed by Mansha of Universal Educational Trust with silver and Huda Farooq of Universal Educational Trust with bronze.
In the Sub-Junior Girls 45 kg category, Mehreen Mehraj of Ali’s Sports Academy won gold, while Aarizoo Mudasir and Aiman, both from Universal Educational Trust, secured silver and bronze respectively. In the 48 kg category, Ronak Zehra from Shadipora won gold, Anjuman Shabir from Shadipora took silver and Soliha Bint Parvaiz of GHSS Bandipora secured bronze.
In the 52 kg category, Aabiru Din from Shadipora won gold, Insha Ishfaq of Universal Educational Trust secured silver and Aisha Firdous of GHSS Bandipora claimed bronze. In the 56 kg category, Iqra Bilal of Ali’s Sports Academy bagged gold, Naila Zahoor from Shadipora won silver and Seerat Sajad of GHSS Bandipora secured bronze.
In the Junior Girls 56 kg category, Falakun Nissa from Shadipora won gold, Razia Bashir of GHS Plan secured silver and Nasreena Bano of GHS Plan took bronze.
In the 60 kg category, Laika Mushtaq of Ali’s Sports Academy claimed gold, while Simran Jan and Gulshan Bano of GHSS Bandipora won silver and bronze respectively.
In the Junior Girls 65 kg category, Saima Mushtaq of GHS Plan won gold, Sadiya Nisar of Universal Educational Trust secured silver and Samiya of GHS Plan bagged bronze.
The event concluded with the distribution of gold, silver and bronze medals among the top performers. The league provided young girls with a platform to gain competitive experience while promoting sports, fitness, confidence and self-defence.
ASMITA, or Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through Action, is a Government of India initiative under the Khelo India framework aimed at increasing women’s participation in sports, identifying sporting talent at the grassroots level and creating opportunities for girls and women to pursue sporting excellence. The initiative also seeks to encourage more women to take up sports and provide them with platforms to compete and progress.
