Judo Victory: Labourer's Son Claims Gold, Sanitation Worker's Daughter Secures Bronze
67th National Judo Championship...
During the ongoing 67th National Judo Championship in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, judo players from Udaipur delivered an outstanding performance, clinching both a gold and a silver medal for the state of Rajasthan.
Judo coach Sushil Sen disclosed that Mukesh Meena, a current Class 12th student at Government Senior Secondary School of Peepliya village, 25 km away from the city, has etched his name in history by securing a gold medal in the 40 kg weight category. This remarkable feat took place during the U-19 National Judo Championship, signifying the first gold medal for the Udaipur district in the tournament.
Mukesh Meena emerged victorious against competitors from Kerala, Vidya Bharti, Odisha and Punjab in a one-sided competition, earning his place in the final. In the ultimate match, Mukesh clinched a gold medal for Rajasthan by employing a Espionage technique to defeat a player from Maharashtra in just 1 minute, achieving a comprehensive Ippon victory.
Mukesh Meena, was brought from Peepliya to Udaipur by physical education instructor Sharirik Kishan Soni, was housed in Soni's residence, where he underwent consistent training under the supervision of Judo coach Sushil Sen. It is noteworthy that Mukesh Meena had previously earned a silver medal in the U-14 School National Championship held in Jharkhand. Subsequently, Mukesh was chosen under the 'Khelo India' scheme and received training. However, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mukesh returned to Udaipur.
Upon Mukesh Meena's accomplishment, the son of a laborer from a small village, congratulations were extended by Judo coach Sushil Sen, Rural MLA of Udaipur Phool Singh Meena, City MLA Tarachand Jain, Peepliya school’s Principal Mrs. Lakshmi, Physical Education Teacher Pallavi Chobisa, SDM, and social worker Dinesh Gurjar. Additionally, congratulations were conveyed by Mahesh Nagda, Bhagwati Lal Teli, Judo District President Dr. Dilip Singh Pahalwan, and senior officials from the education department.
The same Khushi Panwar, the daughter of a sanitation worker at Ambamata, who is currently studying at the Government Girls' Senior Secondary School Residency, also won a bronze medal in the School National Judo Competition. Khushi Panwar comes from an economically weak family, and her sister Divya Panwar recently won a bronze medal in the U-17 National Judo Championship in Ludhiana.
Khushi Panwar competed against players from KVS, Punjab and Kerala, earning a spot in the semifinals but ultimately faced defeat against a player from Delhi. However, in the battle for the bronze medal, she triumphed over a player from Madhya Pradesh, securing the bronze medal for Rajasthan.