Four J&K fencers to represent India in Senior World Cup

In a remarkable achievement, four fencers from Jammu and Kashmir, including the promising TOPS athlete Shreya Gupta were on Monday selected to represent India at the upcoming Senior Sabre World Cup later this week.

Besides, the male trio of Vishal Thapar, Javed Ahmed Choudhary and Mayank Sharma will compete at the men's World Cup in Madrid on May 6 and 7. The lone female qualifier Shreya will be in action at Hammamet, Tunisia on May 8.

The quartet, who are the products of Fencing State Centre of Excellence at M A Stadium in Jammu, made the cut by virtue of the performance and ranking in the Senior National Championship at Amritsar in March. "We're doing a lot of fencing in Jammu and Kashmir. Under Khelo India, we have been given the Centre of Excellence with state-of-art equipment, coaches, physios that is benefiting the fencers," secretary J&K Sports Council, Nuzhat Gul told PTI.

"We are duty bound to provide best possible facilities to our youth who are second to none in skills and talent and the day is not far away when our athletes shall reach the podium at Olympics as well," principal secretary YSS Alok Kumar said.

Three J&K judokas in India Deaflympics

India will have participation from eight judokas in the 65-member contingent in the ongoing Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul in Brazil, which will conclude on May 15. Out of the eight, three are from J&K -- Rakesh Singh (below 60kg), Vishal Khajuria (below 66kg) and Rakhshinda Mehak (below 78kg). All three judokas practice at the MA Stadium Jammu under the guidance of senior judo coach Suraj Bhan Singh of J&K sports Council.