The mango that broke a market
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Groomed at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sports Complex at Katra, the differently abled archer Pawan Kumar will represent India at the prestigious Para World Archery Championship in South Korea. The Championship-2025 is scheduled from 20 to 29 September at Gwangju in the Republic of Korea.
The Shrine Board has taken a significant step to support budding sports talent, Pawan Kumar, a promising differently abled archer from the SMVD Sports Complex, Katra, by extending financial assistance amounting to Rs 7 lakh to facilitate his participation in the prestigious Para World Archery Championship.
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The selected athlete, trained under the Shrine Board’s Sports Initiative, has consistently demonstrated exceptional skill, discipline and determination in the field of archery. Despite visual impairment, the archer has overcome formidable challenges to rise through the ranks and earn a coveted spot on the national para archery team. This selection marks a historic milestone for the Shrine Board and the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, placing the region on the global map of para sports, a spokesman of the Shrine Board said.
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Sachin Kumar Vaishya, Chief Executive Officer, SMVDSB, reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to nurturing young talent and fostering excellence in sports.
He said that the Shrine Board’s Sports Complex has already produced two outstanding Arjuna Awardees, para archers Rakesh Kumar and Sheetal Devi, who have earned national and international acclaim through their remarkable performances. Now, the selection of the Shrine Board’s differently abled archer Pawan Kumar to represent India at the Para World Archery Championship in South Korea stands as a shining testament to the athlete’s determination, coaching and the institutional support extended by the Board.
Notably, the SMVD Sports Complex is currently nurturing the talents of over 150 aspiring athletes across various sports disciplines, who have been consistently delivering promising results in national and international competitions.
The SMVDSB Archery Academy, part of the Complex, has earned the prestigious accreditation under the Khelo India program by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India, in recognition of its excellence in promoting sports development and nurturing young talent.
Among others present on the occasion were family members of the archer Pawan Kumar.
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