JAMMU, Oct 25: Three promising Speedball players from Jammu and Kashmir left Jammu on Sunday to represent India at the 37th World Speedball Championship, scheduled to be held in Egypt from October 27 to November 2, 2026. Indian Team Coach Sunny Nanda is accompanying the players.
The three selected players will compete in the Sub-Junior category. They are Sayam Kashyap of Jammu Sanskriti School, Aadrit Gupta of G.D. Goenka Public School, Jammu, and Hridyansh Tripathi of Army Public School, Dhar Road, Udhampur. All three earned their places in the Indian contingent after qualifying at the national level.
Sunny Nanda will serve as the coach of the Indian team while also representing the country as a player in the Senior category at the international championship.
On the occasion, Sanjeev Verma, IAS, extended his best wishes to the selected players, their parents, the Indian contingent and the J&K Sports Speedball Association.
Verma said he had been associated with the Speedball Association since 2010 and had witnessed its sustained efforts to promote the sport and provide young athletes with opportunities to compete at national and international levels. He appreciated the association for regularly sending teams to major championships and achieving encouraging results.
Speaking to the media, Nanda said that approximately 20 to 22 countries participate in the World Speedball Championship each year. He noted that India had consistently performed well, often securing positions around fourth or fifth place.
“This year, I am hopeful that Team India will finish among the top three or four teams. Our Sub-Junior players from Jammu and Kashmir are performing extremely well in their respective categories, and I am confident that they will give their best and make India and Jammu and Kashmir proud,” Nanda said.
BJP leader Ritika Trehan, who was also present on the occasion, congratulated the young players and their parents and wished the Indian contingent success at the championship.
Trehan said that the players would receive a warm welcome upon their return and that a special felicitation programme would be organised to honour their participation and encourage their future achievements. She added that recognising young sportspersons would motivate them to work harder and inspire other aspiring athletes to pursue excellence in sports.
The J&K Sports Speedball Association also extended its best wishes to the Indian contingent and expressed confidence that the players would deliver an impressive performance at the championship, bringing pride and recognition to the country and Jammu and Kashmir.