By Our Correspondent
JODA/BARBIL: Wushu athletes from the Jindal Sports Hostel in Barbil, a predominantly tribal region of Odisha, have achieved remarkable success by winning four gold medals and one bronze medal at the prestigious Khelo India Zonal Women’s Wushu League in Bagolkot, Karnataka, held from June 10th to 13th, 2024. The hostel has been established and is run by the JSP Foundation, the social arm of Jindal Steel & Power (JSP), under the direct guidance and supervision of its Hon’ble Chairperson, Smt. Shallu Jindal.
The winners who brought glory to Joda-Barbil and the JSP Foundation include Ms. Suman Patra (39kg Sub-Jr) – Gold Medalist, Ms. Swetarani Mahanta (48kg Jr) – Gold Medalist, Ms. Sabita Munda (56kg Jr) – Gold Medalist, Ms. Manju Munda (45kg Sr) – Gold Medalist, and Ms. Laxmi Munda (45kg Jr) – Bronze Medalist.
These remarkable achievements underscore the unwavering commitment of the JSP Foundation towards nurturing and empowering talented youth from disadvantaged communities.
Shri Prashant Kumar Hota, President & Group Head (CSR) of Jindal Steel & Power, expressed his happiness about the athletes’ outstanding achievements and said, “The success of these athletes exhibit the positive impact of sports and the teamwork of the JSP Foundation. Led by Chairperson Smt. Shallu Jindal ji, the JSP Foundation supports both athletic excellence and the holistic development of underprivileged youth in this tribal predominant area. Additionally, our source of inspiration is Shri Naveen Jindal ji, the Chairman of JSP and Hon’ble Member of Parliament (LS), who is a distinguished figure in the field of athletics and sports in India.”
The JSP Foundation has been supporting and promoting the youth of Keonjhar District to play Wushu and Kickboxing, forms of martial arts. The Foundation, in association with the 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, including developing training centres, hostel, providing training facilities with national-level coaches, and supplying food, nutrition, clothing, and conveyance for the players. Besides Wushu, the JSP Foundation has also been promoting more than 30,000 rural and tribal sports talents in the country in martial sports, women’s hockey, men’s hockey, women’s football, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, and Cricket.
