Jammu: Three Wushu players from Jammu and Kashmir won gold medals at the Moscow Wushu Stars Championship held in Moscow from April 15 to 19.
The trio — Surya Bhanu Pratap Singh, Ansa Chisti and Jiya Manhas — secured top finishes in their respective events.
Surya Bhanu Pratap Singh and Ansa Chisti are currently training at the Asian Games National Coaching Camp in Ahmedabad and are among the leading contenders for selection to the upcoming Asian Games.
Both athletes are scheduled to compete in a ranking tournament in Ahmedabad from May 2 to 5, followed by the final selection trials from June 10 to 15.
Jiya Manhas also retained her gold medal at the championship, registering her second consecutive victory at the event.
Satish Sharma congratulated the athletes and said they had made both the country and Jammu and Kashmir proud. He also wished Surya Bhanu Pratap Singh and Ansa Chisti success in their preparations for the Asian Games and extended his best wishes to Jiya Manhas for her future competitions.
Nuzhat Gul also congratulated the medal winners and described Wushu as one of the strongest medal-prospect sports for Jammu and Kashmir.
Office bearers of the Wushu Association of Jammu and Kashmir, including Vijay Saraf, Ranjeet Kalra, Sadat Aslam Wani, Sohit Sharma and Bhavneet, also congratulated the athletes.
The participation of the team in the championship was cleared by the Sports Authority of India at government expense.
Kuldeep Handoo congratulated the entire Indian contingent, which finished the championship with 23 gold, 11 silver and four bronze medals.
He specially praised the three athletes from Jammu and Kashmir and wished them success in their preparations for the Asian Games.
