25 athletes from MP to carry India’s hopes

Bhopal: We often consider Madhya Pradesh to be the state of cricket and shooting due to number of star players the disciplines have produced in recent times. Come the Asian Games in China’s Hangzhou in September, a large number of athletes from the state will represent India in the grand event. A total of 25 players from the state have been selected to represent various Indian teams in the 19th Asian Games, Scheduled to be held from September 23 to October 8. These players are, once again, ready to hoist the flag of India with their full preparation. In sailing, Neha Thakur, Sheetal Verma, and Harshita Tomar will represent India, while Arjun Singh, Neeraj Verma, Nitin Verma, Shivani Verma, Kaveri, Binita Devi will compete in Kayaking-Canoeing. Rukmani Dangi from MP Water Sports Academy and former academy player Anshika Bharti have been selected for Rowing. Prachi Yadav and Manish Kaurav, Para Canoe players from the Water Sports Academy, will be part of the Indian Kayaking Canoeing team.Raju Singh, the star equestrian from the State Equestrian Academy, will represent India in the Asian Games. Shankar Pandey from Madhya Pradesh Martial Arts Academy will join the Indian team in EP Fencing for singles and team events. Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar from Madhya Pradesh Shooting Academy, Aashi Choukse in rifle shooting, and Manisha Keer will represent India in the Shotgun Trap event. Preeti Rajak, a former academy player, will also compete for the Indian team in the trap event of shotgun. Deeksha, an associate member of Madhya Pradesh Athletics Academy, will participate in the 1500m race, and Sapna Barman will represent the Indian athletics team in the Heptathlon event at the 19th Asian Games. Shubham Kevat of Madhya Pradesh State Water Sports Academy, Vishwajeet Singh Kushwaha, Shikha Chauhan, Ahna Yadav has been selected for the Indian team in cano slalom. “Our state's outstanding sports management, along with the dedicated efforts of our athletes, has transformed Madhya Pradesh into a sports hub. As a result, 25 players from Madhya Pradesh Sports Academy have secured their spots in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China," said MP’s sports minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia.