Jammu sports stars Mithun Manhas, Sheetal Devi bring glory to region

Two sportspersons from the mountainous districts of the Jammu region have recently achieved remarkable success at national and international levels. Mithun Manhas from Doda was elected as the new president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), while Sheetal Devi from Kishtwar became the women’s compound world champion at the Gwangju 2025 World Archery Para Championships.

On Sunday, Mithun Manhas made history by becoming the first person from Jammu and Kashmir to assume the charge of BCCI, the country’s premier cricketing body. Hailing from the remote Bhalessa area of Doda, Mithun was raised in Jammu city. His father, Dr Amar Singh, is a retired doctor who served at the health centre of the University of Jammu.

Mithun’s wife, Divya Manhas, is the daughter of Prof Lalit Mangotra, a prominent Dogri writer who was honoured with the Padma Shri award earlier this year. After retirement, Dr Amar Singh now lives with Mithun in New Delhi. Mithun also has a brother.

Family sources revealed that Mithun had a keen interest in cricket from a young age and often played with friends on the university campus. Before becoming BCCI president, he served as a member of the Cricket Operations and Development Committee of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA).

Meanwhile, Sheetal Devi from Kishtwar district clinched the gold medal in the women’s individual compound archery category at the ongoing World Para Archery Championships on Saturday.

Born in 2007 with a rare medical condition that left her arms undeveloped, Sheetal is the daughter of Maan Singh and Shakti Devi from the remote Loi Dhar village in Kishtwar. Despite her physical challenges, she has won numerous medals in tournaments across the globe.

Sheetal received her training at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Sports Complex in Katra, a facility known for producing many skilled archers in recent years.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh praised their achievements, stating, “A momentous occasion to celebrate! Mithun Manhas has been officially declared the new President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). What a providential Sunday for the erstwhile district of Doda, one of the remotest parts of Jammu & Kashmir, which incidentally is also my home district. Within a span of a few hours, first a daughter of Kishtwar, Sheetal, shines as World Champion, and soon thereafter, a son of Bhaderwah, Mithun, stands atop.”