Khelo India Women’s Wushu League Northern Zonal Round Set to Showcase Top Talent

Organized by SAI Patiala and funded by the Department of Sports, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the event offers a prize pool of Rs 7.2 lakh.

The upcoming northern zonal round of the Khelo India Women’s Wushu League is poised to draw significant attention as it features prominent international athletes Ayeera Chisti and Komal Nagar. This competition will take place at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports in Patiala from July 9 to 13, showcasing the talents of 350 athletes across sub-junior, junior, and senior categories.

Organized by SAI Patiala and funded by the Department of Sports, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the event offers a prize pool of Rs 7.2 lakh. The Wushu Federation of India conducts the competition, which includes both Sanda (fighting) and Taolu (forms), welcoming participants from Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh. The top eight wushu athletes from each category will receive cash incentives.

Following the successful South Zonal event in Karnataka last month, the North Zonal meet marks the next phase in the league's calendar. The league will culminate in a national ranking championship after the completion of all four zonal meets.

The Khelo India Women’s Wushu League provides a platform for aspiring athletes, including international medallists like Ayeera Chisti and Komal Nagar, who train at the NSNIS Patiala Centre.

“I am very excited to play on my home ground here in my third Khelo India Women’s Wushu League, having won gold in the last two championships,” said Ayeera, who debuted in this competition in 2022. “The Khelo India Women’s League is very important for a lot of girls, especially looking at the future, and I’m thankful to the government for this. As for me, I want to clinch the gold medal at the Asian Games in the 52kg category and become the first woman to achieve this feat for India in this weight division. Before that, I am aiming for the gold at the senior Asian championships in China this September.”

Ayeera Chisti, hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, is looking to clinch her third consecutive gold medal at the Khelo India Women’s Wushu League. She will compete in the senior 52kg Sanda category. Ayeera won a bronze at the junior wushu world championship in Indonesia in 2022, a gold at the international wushu championship in Georgia in 2022, and a gold at the Russian Moscow Stars Wushu International Championship in 2024.

Chandigarh’s Komal Nagar, gold medallist at the Russian Moscow Stars Wushu International Championship 2023 in Sanda, emphasized the importance of such tournaments. “Getting an opportunity to play one more tournament in the calendar year besides the nationals bolsters our confidence. The Khelo India Women’s League gives us a good playfield for our performance assessment, helps us understand flaws in our game, and highlights areas to work on,” said Komal, who started learning self-defence techniques at the age of 14.

Under the Sports for Women Vertical, Khelo India Women’s Leagues are structured into two main formats: Major League and City League. These leagues serve as platforms for promoting women's sports across various disciplines. Additionally, leagues are organized within specific age categories or weight categories, tailored to the requirements of each sport.

Supported by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, this approach encourages widespread participation among women athletes and facilitates talent identification and development across different skill levels and age groups nationwide. Through these structured formats, the Khelo India initiative aims to foster a vibrant sports culture and support the growth of female athletes in India.