Chandigarh: Chandigarh’s judo fraternity received a major boost with Vivek Thakur, coach at the Sports Complex, Sector 34-C, being appointed coach of the Indian team for the Cadet & Junior Asian Judo Championship 2026, scheduled to be held in Amman, Jordan, from July 14 to 20.The appointment has been made by the Judo Federation of India (JFI) with the approval of the Sports Authority of India (SAI).Adding to the city’s achievement, four Chandigarh judokas have been selected to represent India at the continental championship. The selected athletes are Angel Yadav (Junior Girls -48 kg), Navroop (Junior Girls -57 kg), Ishroop Narang (Junior Girls -78 kg) and Divanshi Miglani (Cadet Girls +70 kg).All four athletes have trained under Thakur at the Sector 34 sports complex, reflecting the centre’s success in developing talent for the international stage through sustained coaching and athlete development programmes.Congratulating the coach and players, NS Thakur, general secretary of the Amateur Judo Association of Chandigarh, described the feat as a landmark moment for the city’s judo community.“The appointment of Vivek Thakur as Team India coach and the selection of four Chandigarh judokas for the Asian Championship is a matter of immense pride. It reflects years of dedicated coaching, disciplined training and the hard work of the athletes. We are confident they will bring laurels to the country,” he said.
