Woman athlete Anupama Swain who qualified for 2022 Asian Games by winning a bronze medal in the recently concluded World Martial Arts Mastership Jiu-Jitsu has said that the achievement was a proud moment for her as she was the only Indian to participate in the championship.
Jiu-Jitsu is a form of martial art and combat sport and it puts the entire focus on grappling with particular emphasis on ground fighting.
Speaking to about the experience, she said, "I was the only player to get selected for the championship in Korea. All the players who were present there were already medallists, they were top players and the competition was really tough. It was the first time that I went to participate alone in the tournament."
Swain, who hailed from Odisha, continued, "I tried to give my best and make the country proud. I won the bronze medal, I will try to give my best next time. I am happy with the bronze medal. I have also qualified for Asian Games, I will give my best in the next championship to prepare for the Asian Games. I am very fit and I train quite hard to keep giving my best."
Swain's coach Hariprasad Patnayak also expressed happiness on the achievement. He said that he has always focused on developing the fitness of Swain.
"My priority is to develop her fitness and strength. Most of the players are focused on developing skills, but I have always been focused on developing her fitness. In this contest, Anupama was able to win bronze. It translated into a direct ticket into 2022 Asian Games. Anupama has to ensure that she keeps winning next championships to keep momentum with her," Patnayak said.
( With inputs from ANI )