8-Year-Old from Gangtok Clinches Silver at National Taekwondo Championship

An 8-year-old student from Gangtok, Shivani Thapa of St. Thomas’ School, won a silver medal at the National Kyorugi Taekwondo Championship in the Sub-Junior Girls’ 24 kg category, held at Palzor Stadium from August 23–25. Competing against over 350 athletes from across India, Shivani represented the Sikkim United Taekwondo Dojang, training under senior and international coaches including Bijay Gurung and Chultem Palmu Bhutia. Her dedication and consistent practice led to a podium finish, bringing pride to Sikkim. Teachers and classmates lauded her achievement, highlighting that her success could inspire other children to pursue sports and martial arts seriously.