Joda/Barbil: In a display of remarkable sporting prowess, the wushu players of Jindal Sports Hostel, established by the JSP Foundation, the social arm of Jindal Steel & Power (JSP) in Barbil, have achieved remarkable success by securing 6 Gold, 2 Silver, and 1 Bronze medal in the South Zone Khelo India Wushu Women’s League held in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, from January 18th to 21st, 2024.
The outstanding individual achievements of the hostel’s athletes include, Sabini Munda: Gold medal (27kg sub-jr), Laxmi Munda: Gold medal (42kg sub-jr), Unnati Prasad: Gold (45kg Sub-jr), Sweta Rani Mahanta: Gold (48kg jr), Sabita Munda: Gold medal (52kg jr), Manju Munda: Gold medal (45kg sr), Sibani Munda: Silver Medal (30kg sub-jr), Suman Patra: Silver (36kg sub-jr), Sumitra Munda: Bronze medal (45kg jr).
This significant success has not only brought glory to the hostel but also to the Joda-Barbil region and the entire state of Odisha. The hostel, the first of its kind in the district, is a testament to JSP Foundation’s commitment to nurturing sporting talents and promoting holistic development.
Established in line with the government of Odisha’s focus on sports infrastructure development, Jindal Sports Hostel provides state-of-the-art residential facilities to 60 children selected for their sporting prowess. The hostel is equipped with modern amenities, including comfortable accommodations, fourth-generation gym facilities, and dedicated sports training under the guidance of experienced coaches. The Foundation also ensures the overall well-being of the students by providing them with nutritious meals and physical fitness training.
Expressing gratitude for this achievement, Naveen Jindal, chairman of JSP and Shallu Jindal, chairperson of JSP Foundation, extended their heartfelt appreciation to the athletes for their dedication and hard work. Their unwavering commitment to nurturing grassroots sports talents has played a pivotal role in elevating sports talents of this region to the global stage.
JSP Foundation has been supporting and promoting youths of Keonjhar District to play Wushu & Kickboxing sports, forms of martial arts. The Foundation, in association with Odisha State Wushu Association, has been patronizing the Keonjhar District Wushu Team for more than a decade. The Foundation extends all infrastructural support to the Team, like the development of training centres, training facilities by national-level coaches, food & nutrition and clothing & conveyance for the players. Besides Sweta Rani, during the past years, JSP Foundation groomed Babulu and Manju Munda, who have bagged Silver and Gold medals in International Wushu Tournaments in Brazil, Brunei and Moscow, respectively.
