ITANAGAR: Two karatekas from the state, Mesom Singhi and Johny Mangkhiya, have successfully qualified for the upcoming 19th Asian Games in China. They both claimed the top position in their respective events during the trial selection organized by the Sports Authority of India at Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi. Singhi, a 25-year-old athlete who will turn 25 in November, will be participating in the women's kata event. She hails from Attangrang village in East Kameng district and is the daughter of Langku Singhi and Yajik Singhi. Mangkhiya, on the other hand, will compete in kumite and comes from Mangkhya village in East Kameng district. She is the daughter of Nira Mangkhiya and Majing Mangkhiya.
A total of five athletes from Arunachal have secured their qualification for the Asian Games so far, including Singhi, Mangkhiya, skater Nani Sonam, Radha Bangsia in taekwondo, and Abab Sangdo, who will compete in the men's kata event.
Singhi boasts an impressive record of 26 medals in national, international, and regional competitions. Most of her medals are gold, with only a few exceptions where she clinched silver and bronze. Recently, she emerged victorious in the senior category of the All India Inter-SAI Karate Tournament, 2023, claiming the individual kata gold. Singhi's notable achievements include a gold medal at the 9th Commonwealth Karate Championship, 2018 in Durban, South Africa, in the senior female team kata event, and a bronze medal at the 10th Commonwealth Karate Championship, 2022 in Birmingham, England, in individual kata. She has also participated in other prestigious events such as the WKF Karate-1 Series A, 2022 in Jakarta, Indonesia, and the 15th AKF Senior Championship, 2018 held in Amman, Jordan. Moreover, Singhi secured four consecutive gold medals at the KAI National All India Karate Championship from 2018 to 2021, along with several gold medals in regional-level competitions.
Mangkhiya, too, has an impressive collection of national and international medals. Her most recent achievement was winning a gold medal at the All India Karate National Championship. In 2018, she earned a bronze medal in both the senior individual kumite and team kumite events at the 9th Commonwealth Karate Championship in South Africa. Mangkhiya secured a gold and a silver medal in the Senior South Asian Karate Championship in 2019, as well as a gold medal in the 8th Commonwealth Karate Championships in 2015. She has also participated in renowned competitions like the World Karate Championship in Madrid, Spain, in 2018, and the WKF World Championships in Austria in 2016. Additionally, she has clinched multiple gold medals in national karate championships.
The Arunachal Karate Do Association president, Likha Tara, has conveyed congratulations to all the qualified karatekas on behalf of the association.
ALSO WATCH: