The Wushu journey for Ayeera and Ansa started in their school, Tiny Hearts, Tangpora, Srinagar. The girls say their teacher Umer Sir introduced them to Wushu. “We did not know what Wushu was. We practiced punches at school because it was fun,” laugh the two sisters…writes Siraj Ali Quadri
Kashmiri youths are shining in almost all sports. Girls are rubbing shoulders with boys in the toughest competitions like wushu, a form of martial arts. Ayeera Chisti and Ansa Chisti, twin sisters from Srinagar, have won laurels for their achievements in their teenage years.
Both the sisters have been selected to represent India at the Wushi World Championship to be held in Georgia in the first week of August.
Both the sisters are national level Wushu martial arts players.
The first moment for glory for the sisters came in 2021 when they won medals for the fifth time in the Junior National Wushu Championship. While Ansa bagged gold and Ayeera won bronze in their respective age category held at Lovely Professional University Jalandhar, Punjab.
Ayeera Chishti earlier won gold in 17th Sub junior national Wushu Championship held at M.A Stadium Jammu in 2018, bagged silver in 18th Sub junior national wushu championship held at LPU Punjab in 2019, silver in 18th Junior national Wushu Championship held at Chandigarh in 2019 and bronze in 19th Junior national wushu championship held at Fatehbad (Haryana) in 2021.
Ansa Chishti won gold in 18th Sub junior national Wushu Championship held at L.P.U Punjab in 2019, bagged silver in 19th Junior national Wushu Championship held at Fatehabad (Haryana) in 2021, bronze in 17th Sub Junior National Wushu Championship held at M.A. Stadium Jammu in 2018 and silver in 65th National School Games 2019-2020 held in Ranchi, Jharkhand in Wushu U/17 girls.
Ayeera and Ansa hail from an educated family. Their father Rais ul Hassan Chishti is an engineer by profession, posted at the Baglihar Hydro Electric Power Project. Their mother Dr Jahanara is Assistant Professor in Tibbia College, Kashmir. The girls are multi-talented. They have excelled in painting, dancing, academics and also sports. “We are blessed with these two girls,” say their proud parents.
The Wushu journey for Ayeera and Ansa started in their school, Tiny Hearts, Tangpora, Srinagar. The girls say their teacher Umer Sir introduced them to Wushu. “We did not know what Wushu was. We practiced punches at school because it was fun,” laugh the two sisters.
A year later, the sisters got to know that there were classes for Wushu and other martial arts at the Indoor Stadium in Srinagar. They joined Wushu classes. “It is here that we learnt that Wushu is different from other martial arts. This sport is about kick punch and throw,” the sisters told a local Kashmiri newspaper.
Since 2016, the duo has been training in Kashmir under the guidance of their coach Asiff Hussain.
Speaking to the Rising Kashmir Chishti newspaper, Asif Hussain said that he is happy that his students Chishti sisters have proved their mettle. “Ansa the furious girl plays outstandingly with every single opponent she faces. Till now, she has beaten every opponent with a good margin of score. She has beaten five states back-to-back in finals. She beat a champion from Haryana within 2 rounds in 2020,” he said.
He said that Ayeera Chishti has recovered from an injury she had suffered and she will bring honour for the country at the Wushu World Championship in Georgia.
(The Author is Journalist and associated with Dainik Bhaskar)
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