Sikkim Association of Kickboxing Orgnizations (SAKO) felicitated its team members for winning 14 medals for Sikkim in the recently held WAKO India National Kickboxing Championship.
The championship was held from September 17 to 20 at Dr B R Ambedkar Sports Indoor Stadium of Karimnagar in Telangana.
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An eight-member SAKO team returned home with eight gold medals, two silver medals and four bronze medals for their State.
Meeke Hangma Limboo, Anjali Subba and Mingso Hang Limboo won two gold medals each.
Rohit Poudyal bagged one gold medal and one silver medal.
Suyem Limboo also won one gold medal and one silver medal.
Srijana Subba won two bronze medals and Mukkum Subba and Bishal Limboo won one bronze medal each.
The team was accompanied by Bishnu Kumar Limboo as team coach and Mona Hang Limboo as team member.
The state team members were kick-boxers of Hee Karate Academy, West Sikkim.
The academy was started by international kick-boxer Bhim Bahadur Subba in 2013 to promote kickboxing in rural parts of the State.
Members of the academy have been continuously winning medals for the State since establishment.
In a small felicitation function at Paljor Stadium conference hall in Gangtok on Monday evening, SAKO felicitated medal winners by offering khadas.
Secretary to Sports & Youth Affairs Department, Kuber Bhandari was present as the chief guest.
In his address, Bhandari congratulated the entire team members for winning medals and laurels for Sikkim.
He also congratulated SAKO for continuously producing national and international kick-boxers from Sikkim.
He mentioned that the Sports & Youth Affair Department has been planning to provide better training to young and promising athletes outside the State.
The secretary asserted upon maintaining discipline and consistency in sportspersons to do better in the future.
He encouraged young kick-boxers to increase their competitive spirit and to make their successful career in sports.
SAKO chief technical director, Bidhan Ballav Subba said kickboxing was introduced in Sikkim in 1998 and has witnessed lots of success and achievement in this long journey.
Likewise, SAKO president, Bhim Bahadur Subba congratulated the entire team members for winning medals for the State.
He mentioned there were lots of contributions from different sides in the journey of kickboxing in the State for producing national and international kick-boxers from Sikkim.
He motivated the team members to take sports professionally to make successful career and to shine the name of the State and the country in sports.