Thai kickboxing test beckons two hill girls

VIVEK CHHETRI , TT, 08 Mar 2019, Darjeeling: Two Darjeeling girls, Uttama Rai, 19, and Manisha Tamang, 21, have been selected to represent India at the 4th International and Thai Martial Arts Games and Festival to be held in Bangkok this week.

The championship, which is endorsed by the World Kickboxing Association, will have participants from the Asia-Pacific region. "We are extremely happy that two of our girls have been selected in the 26-member team that will be representing India at the Asia-Pacific level competition which will be held from March 9 to 17," said Sanjay Rai, general secretary, Kickboxing Association of Darjeeling.

Manisha will be competing in the low kick event while Uttara is confident of bringing laurels in the light contact event.

Kickboxing is slowly gaining popularity in the region with many schools encouraging students to take up the sport for self defence.

"I started learning kickboxing more for self-defence when I was studying at Vidya Vikas Academy (VVA) in Darjeeling, but soon the sport has become a passion for me" said Manisha, a second year student of St. Joseph's College (North Point).

Uttara, a class XI student of VVA was inducted in the sport while she was Class IX.