Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, July 17: Prominent ace fencer of J&K, Shreya Gupta has set the ball rolling in Fencing by winning first ever individual medal at the International level by clinching the sabre category bronze medal in the ongoing Commonwealth Junior and Cadet Championship 2024 at Christchurch, New Zealand.
Shreya in a superb display of the game, completely outclassed Saunders Nicole of England in the table of 16 by a margin of 15-3, whereas in a medal bout, she secured a win over Hardge Gala of Australia by 15-13.
In the semifinals, Shreya lost to Juliet Mind of Singapore in a tight finish by a score of 15-11.
Shreya Gupta has already won 2 bronze medals in the team events of the Commonwealth Cadet and Junior Fencing Championship held at Newcastle and London in the 2018 and 2022 editions of championships. Besides, she secured the junior bronze medal in team event at the Asian championship in Uzbekistan and has participated in about 15 prestigious international fencing events. She holds the title of both Senior and Junior National Champion and to date has won 17 Gold, 11 silver and 7 bronze medals at the National level.
She had been an elite athlete in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, GOI and a Khelo India athlete.
Shreya Gupta has been a regular trainee of the Sports Council Fencing Centre at MA Stadium, Jammu and coached by Shotu Lal Sharma of the sports council and Ujwal Gupta at the beginning of her fencing career.
At present, she is getting training at Vijay Bharat Sports Academy, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Secretary, Youth Services and Sports Department, Sarmad Hafeez and Secretary, J&K Sports Council Nuzhat Gul congratulated the JKSC athlete and wished her good luck for future competitions.