Srinagar: Jammu & Kashmir has once again made its mark on the national sports map, with two Wushu athletes from the Union Territory being selected for foreign exposure training in China as part of India’s preparations for the upcoming Asian Games.
The selected athletes are Bhanu Partap Singh, a bronze medallist at the 18th Asian Games, and Ansa Christi, an international player who currently holds the No. 1 national ranking in the women’s 52 kg category. Both players are members of the Indian Wushu squad undergoing a one-month foreign exposure training programme in China from January 14 to February 12, 2026.
The selection was made by the Wushu Association of India (WAI), which shortlisted the top eight ranked athletes across 13 events—seven Sanda and six Taolu—during the recent national ranking tournament held in Jammu. Notably, 12 athletes from Jammu & Kashmir feature among the top eight rankings, underlining the region’s growing dominance and consistent performance in Wushu at the national level.
The next national ranking event is scheduled from February 15 to 17, 2026. Following this, four athletes in each event will be shortlisted for the National Wushu Coaching Camp. In the final phase, the best two athletes in each event will be selected in the last week of March 2026 for a 60-day foreign exposure training programme in China.
In preparation for the 20th Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Japan from September 19 to October 4, 2026, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has sanctioned a 23-member Indian Wushu team for the current foreign exposure training programme.
Office bearers of the Wushu Association of Jammu & Kashmir—President Vijay Saraf, Vice President Ranjeet Kalra, General Secretary Bhavneet, and Treasurer Sohit Sharma—have congratulated Bhanu Partap Singh and Ansa Christi on their selection and wished them success at the Asian Games and future international competitions.
Dronacharya Awardee Kuldeep Handoo also lauded the athletes and encouraged the remaining 10 Wushu players from J&K who are among the top national rankings to continue working hard to secure their places in the Asian Games squad. He expressed gratitude to the J&K Sports Council, led by Secretary Nuzhat Gul, for its continued support to Wushu in the Union Territory. He further urged the government to establish a dedicated Wushu academy in J&K, stating that such an initiative would significantly boost performance and help produce stronger international results in the years ahead.
