J&K judokas call on Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment

JAMMU : Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr Virendra Kumar met with a delegation of para-athletes (judokas) and their coaches here today.

The two judokas, Vishal Khajuria and Rakhshinda Mehak are going to compete in the 1st World Deaf Judo Championship at Versailles France, scheduled from October 27 this year. Both the players have been gold medallists for 8 and 10 times respectively. Vishal has also been 3-time National Best Judo Player, while Rakhshinda was awarded Best Judo Player in 2019.

The Minister said that the extraordinary performance of Indian sportspersons at the recent Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have filled the nation with pride and given greater hopes for future events. The Government has been giving significant attention to improve sports infrastructure, facilities and culture in the country, said the Minister. The recent feat of 19 Para athletes winning medals in the Tokyo Paralympics games is a result of development in sports, he added.

The judokas were encouraged to give their best in their upcoming championship and were told that the entire nation has their hopes pinned on them.

Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Farooq Khan was also present on the occasion.

The Advisor also lauded the achievements of the two athletes and encouraged them to up their game and garner accolades internationally. He assured extended support and facilities from the UT government for the sport.