Four players from South Kashmir’s Pulwama district have won medals, two gold and two silver, in the 7th South Asian Sqay Championship which was held at National Sports Stadium Kathmandu, Nepal.
The winners from Pulwama include Arslan Mehraj, Riyan Rouf, Aadiba Younis and Saliq Manzoor.
Arslan, Riyan and Saliq won Gold while Aadiba bagged silver.
Arslan and Riyan belong to saffron town Pampore while Saliq and Aadiba are from Tral area of Pulwama.
Talking to Rising Kashmir on phone Riyan who is on way to home from Nepal said that he has playing Sqay martial art from past seven years.
“ It has been my dream to win Gold at an International event and today I realised my dream,” Riyan said, adding that his parents were in jubilation after getting the news about his recent achievement.
He clinched Gold in U18 category after defeating his rival from Bhutan.
Sqay players from India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal took part in the championship and fought under different categories. “ Entries of players from some other countries were also received but they couldn’t participate because of Visa issues,” Nazir Ahmad Mir, a veteran Sqay player from Pampore presently serving as Secretary for International Sqay Council, said.
The event is held after every four years.
In the recent event organised by Sqay Federation of Nepal from 3 to 5 February,2023, India finished at the top of the medal tally.
“Around 57 players from Jammu and Kashmir were participating in the championship, they put a spectacular show and performed more than what we were expecting,” Grand master Nazir said.
Sqay is the indigenous martial art form of Kashmir played in 62 countries of the world.
Grand master Nazir is credited for reviving this art form into an international sport after popularising it throughout the length and breadth of the country.
