Gumla Grappling Wrestlers Shine at National Championship in Uttarakhand

Players from the Gumla Sports Academy brought pride to the district with an impressive performance at the 2026 National Grappling Wrestling Championship held at Vandana Katariya Sports Stadium in Roshnabad, Haridwar, Uttarakhand.

The three-day national championship saw four players from Gumla represent Jharkhand. The team included Roshan Kumar Sahu of SS High School, Gumla, along with Nirjh Manjhi, Preeti Rosa Toppo and Monica Toppo. Competing against athletes from across the country, the Gumla players showcased their skills and determination on the national stage.

Nirjh Manjhi and Preeti Rosa Toppo of Saint Patrick's School, Gumla, won bronze medals in their respective events. Their achievement has brought recognition not only to the players and their academy but also to Gumla district, which continues to produce promising athletes in different sporting disciplines.

The Jharkhand team was led by Hafizur Rahman, vice-president of the Jharkhand Wrestling Organisation.

Speaking about the achievement, Sports Academy director Syed Junnu Raina said the players come largely from rural areas of Gumla and study in different schools across the district. Despite coming from modest backgrounds, he said, the youngsters have shown considerable talent and have performed well at district, state and national-level competitions.

According to Raina, players associated with the academy have won medals in disciplines including handball, football, cricket, grappling and combat sports. He also highlighted their recent performance at a South Asian competition in Kathmandu, where the players reportedly won gold medals.

He said the strong showing at the national grappling championship in Uttarakhand was another indication of the potential among young athletes from Gumla.

The players received a warm welcome on their return to Gumla, with academy members greeting them with garlands and congratulating them on their performance.

Raina said the academy also plans to take the players to meet the district administration in the coming days. A delegation is expected to meet the Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police and Sub-Divisional Officer to brief them about the young athletes' achievements and highlight their sporting potential.

The welcome programme was attended by Kaleem Akhtar, Govardhan Badaik, Wasim, Jasmine Lugun, Pradeep Tirkey, Christina Toppo, Asrar Abdeen, Tauseef and Rohit Oraon, among others.

The medal-winning performance has once again put the spotlight on Gumla's emerging sporting talent and underlined the growing potential of young athletes from the district on larger competitive platforms.