Labourer’s daughter bags bronze in wushu at Nat’l Games | Bhubaneswar News
Rourkela: In a tale of perseverance and grit, Riya Thakur, the 20-year-old daughter of a labourer, has defied all odds to make Odisha proud. Riya clinched a bronze medal in wushu in the taolu-gunshu (stick) event at the ongoing 38th National Games in Dehradun.
“I am extremely happy to have won the bronze medal. I hope to represent India at the international level,” said Riya, a BBA student from Ispat College in Rourkela.
Given the financial constraints, she supplements the family’s income by providing wushu training at a local school while continuing her rigorous practice.
Hailing from Mallick Basti in Sector-16 of Rourkela, Riya’s journey into wushu began when she was 13 years old. “I was interested in martial arts since childhood, which led me to choose wushu,” she said.
With limited resources but boundless passion, she trained under the guidance of coaches Suranjan Rath and Tika Bahadur at their Sector-14 facility. Recognizing her potential, her mentors provided free training and equipment, ensuring that financial hardship did not stand in the way of her dreams.
Chanchala Thakur, a home-maker, is proud of her daughter’s achievement and hopes Riya can represent the country one day. “I am proud of my daughter. I want her to represent India and bring laurels to our country,” said Chanchala.
“Given our financial situation, the govt should support her and encourage her to achieve even more success,” Chanchala added.
Riya is the youngest of three siblings. Her elder sister works in Mumbai in a private company, while her brother is a graduate.
Her bronze medal at the National Games is the latest in a series of impressive performances. In July 2024, she secured gold at the 30th Odisha State Wushu Championship. She also managed a top-10 finish at the 33rd National Championship in Dehradun last Sept. Over the years, she has accumulated multiple gold medals in district and state-level championships.
“Her dedication and hard work have paid off. This bronze medal is just the beginning, and I am confident she will achieve even greater success in the future,” her coach, Suranjan, said.
“I am extremely happy to have won the bronze medal. I hope to represent India at the international level,” said Riya, a BBA student from Ispat College in Rourkela.
Given the financial constraints, she supplements the family’s income by providing wushu training at a local school while continuing her rigorous practice.
Hailing from Mallick Basti in Sector-16 of Rourkela, Riya’s journey into wushu began when she was 13 years old. “I was interested in martial arts since childhood, which led me to choose wushu,” she said.
With limited resources but boundless passion, she trained under the guidance of coaches Suranjan Rath and Tika Bahadur at their Sector-14 facility. Recognizing her potential, her mentors provided free training and equipment, ensuring that financial hardship did not stand in the way of her dreams.
Chanchala Thakur, a home-maker, is proud of her daughter’s achievement and hopes Riya can represent the country one day. “I am proud of my daughter. I want her to represent India and bring laurels to our country,” said Chanchala.
“Given our financial situation, the govt should support her and encourage her to achieve even more success,” Chanchala added.
Riya is the youngest of three siblings. Her elder sister works in Mumbai in a private company, while her brother is a graduate.
Her bronze medal at the National Games is the latest in a series of impressive performances. In July 2024, she secured gold at the 30th Odisha State Wushu Championship. She also managed a top-10 finish at the 33rd National Championship in Dehradun last Sept. Over the years, she has accumulated multiple gold medals in district and state-level championships.
“Her dedication and hard work have paid off. This bronze medal is just the beginning, and I am confident she will achieve even greater success in the future,” her coach, Suranjan, said.
