Hoshiarpur’s karatekas put up stellar show at Independence Cup championship

Karatekas of Jagmohan’s Institute of Traditional Karate (JITK), Hoshiarpur, put up an impressive performance at the 20th Independence Cup All-India Karate Championship held at Talkatora Indoor Stadium, New Delhi.

Organised under the leadership of Shihan Bharat Sharma, president of the Karate India Organisation, the championship witnessed participation of more than 2,500 athletes representing 70 teams from 21 states.

Riyan Barhpagga emerged as the star performer of Punjab, clinching the gold medal after winning all his bouts. Representing the JITK team, Riyan defeated opponents from Maharashtra 6–0, Bihar 6–1 and Uttar Pradesh 6–0. He is trained by internationally renowned karate instructor Sensei Jagmohan Vij.

The institute’s other trainees also made their presence felt. Akshita Sharma won a bronze medal in the Cadet Girls’ Under-50 kg category under the guidance of assistant coach Aarti Kumari.

Prabhnoor Goswami reached the semi-finals in the boys’ Under-9, Under-30 kg category and secured a bronze medal, while Aarush Sharma also bagged bronze in the Cadet Boys’ Under-60 kg category. Onish Gupta and Gurkirat Kaur delivered strong performances, reaching the quarter-finals in their respective categories.

Chief coach Sensei Jagmohan Vij and assistant coach Aarti Kumari congratulated the medal winners and other team members for their determined performances at the All-India championship.