Five Gumla Sports Academy Wrestlers Leave for Haridwar Competition, Eye Chance to Represent India

Five wrestlers from Sports Academy Gumla were sent off from Tower Chowk here on Tuesday to participate in a grappling and wrestling competition scheduled to be held in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, from August 20 to 23.

The competition holds special significance for the young athletes as medal winners are expected to get an opportunity to represent India at an international competition in Istanbul, Turkey.

The five players representing Jharkhand include three boys — Arib Abdeen, Neeraj Manjhi and Roshan Kumar Sahu, all from SS High School, Gumla. The girls’ team comprises Monika Toppo and Preeti Rosa Toppo of St. Patrick’s High School, Gumla.

The players already have experience of competing at major events and have won medals at the South Asian Games held in Kathmandu, Nepal. They have also secured medals in a wrestling competition organised in Gorakhpur.

Speaking on the occasion, Sports Academy director Syed Junnu Rain said the selection of the Gumla players for the competition was a matter of pride for the district.

He said a strong performance in Haridwar could open the door for the players to earn a place in the Indian team. Their success would not only bring recognition to the players but also enhance the reputation of Gumla, Jharkhand and the country at the international level.

“Our players have been participating consistently in South Asian and national-level competitions. They recently took part in national events held in Dehradun and Kerala as well,” Rain said.

He added that Gumla Sports Academy has been producing promising players across several disciplines, including handball, wrestling, combat wrestling and cricket, with athletes from the academy making their presence felt at different levels.

The academy has also announced that the players will be given a special felicitation by district administrative officials after returning from Haridwar, provided they put up a strong performance in the competition.

The Jharkhand wrestling contingent is being led by Hafizur Rahman, vice-president of the Jharkhand State Wrestling Association.

Sports Academy director Syed Junnu Rain, Khistirina Toppo, Asar Abdeen and Naseem Khan were also present during the send-off programme.

For the five Gumla wrestlers, the Haridwar event is more than another tournament. A medal could potentially take them one step closer to an international platform and the opportunity to wear the Indian colours in Istanbul.