Gonda: Young taekwondo athletes from Gonda district who recently earned Black Belt certifications were felicitated at a special ceremony held at the office of Divisional Commissioner Durga Shakti Nagpal on Tuesday. The event celebrated the achievements of the district’s emerging sportspersons and highlighted the importance of sports in personal development and empowerment.
During the programme, Commissioner Nagpal presented certificates, identity cards, medals, and awards to the athletes in recognition of their dedication and accomplishments in taekwondo.
Commissioner Congratulates Athletes
Interacting with the players, the Commissioner congratulated them on their achievements and wished them success in their future sporting careers. She emphasized that sports not only enhance physical fitness but also foster discipline, self-confidence, leadership qualities, and determination.
She encouraged the athletes to continue pursuing excellence and strive for greater achievements at higher levels of competition.
Special Focus on Girls’ Self-Defence
Addressing the gathering, Durga Shakti Nagpal particularly encouraged girls to participate actively in sports and self-defence training. She stressed that self-defence skills play a crucial role in empowering women and helping them become more confident and self-reliant.
The Commissioner urged young girls to not only become aware of self-defence techniques themselves but also spread awareness within society about the importance of personal safety and empowerment.
Appreciation for Gonda Taekwondo Association
Nagpal praised the efforts of the Gonda Taekwondo Association for providing quality coaching and guidance to young athletes. She noted that the association’s dedication had enabled several players from the district to establish themselves at competitive levels and bring recognition to Gonda through their performances.
Call to Excel at National and International Levels
The Commissioner also interacted with the athletes about their future goals and aspirations. She encouraged them to remain focused, work hard, and aim for success at national and international championships, bringing laurels to both the district and the country.
Among those honoured for achieving Black Belt status were Arnav Soni, Atharv Raj Soni, Naitik Tiwari, Pranjal Pandey, Ankur Arya, Mobeen, Pushkar Shukla, Kushagra Sharma, Nirbhay Shekhar Tiwari, Ram Mishra, Arham Manzoor, Shaurya Gupta, Shivansh Mishra, Pramudit Rajpal, Soumya Singh Rana, Abhyuday Singh, Sambhav Prakash, Ashish Arya, Anmol Shukla, Abhishek Singh Manjhi, and Navneet Singh.
In the girls’ category, Akshita Singh, Jyoti Chaudhary, Aaradhya Gupta, Vaibhavi Singh, Naina Upadhyay, Anushka Gupta, Krisha Srivastava, Ananya Singh, Manya Gupta, Sneh Mishra, and Shraddha Gupta were honoured for their accomplishments.
Coaches Also Recognised
The programme also acknowledged the contribution of coaches Devendra Sharma and Sandeep Chauhan, who were felicitated for their efforts in training and mentoring the athletes.
The event was attended by District Sports Officer Ranjeet Raj, Gonda Taekwondo Association office-bearer Santosh Gupta, Association Secretary Dr. Pratyush Raj, and several other distinguished guests. The ceremony concluded with the presentation of a bouquet to the Commissioner as a token of gratitude from the association.
