Odisha wushu athlete Swetarani Mahanta won the gold medal for India at the Moscow Wushu Stars Championship 2023 in Moscow, Russia today. This was the first international medal for Sweta who bagged it in the sub-junior girls 48kg sanda (fight) category.

Sweta, who hails from Barbil, Keonjhar district, was part of the Indian girls squad that bagged a total of 17 medals in the championship, which commenced on May 2. The 17 medals featured 10 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze.

All these girls were participants of the Khelo India Womens Wushu League held in India across a year. Sweta had won the gold medal at the Khelo India Sub-junior Women Wushu League in Jammu earlier this year.

The participation of the girls in Moscow Wushu Stars Championship was sanctioned at full cost to the Government of India. According to eminent wushu athlete Pooja Kadian, who is also one of the coaches of the wushu team, in previous years, wushu athletes had to pay Rs 1.5 lakh each to take part in the Moscow Stars Championship.

But this time, it was free because the government sponsored the trip. Probables for the Asian Games will be selected from these girls. Sweta is expected to return home on May 10 after attending a felicitation programme to be organised by Sports Authority of India in new Delhi on May 9.

A Class X student of Jindal School, Barbil, Sweta is the daughter of former kickboxing international medallist and wushu coach Pankaj Kumar Mahanta. She has been supported by by JSP Foundation, the social arm of JSPL Corporate.
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PHOTO: Swetarani Mahanta poses with her gold medal at the Moscow Wushu Stars Championship in Moscow on 7 May 2023.