15th National Vovinam Championship-2026: Uttarakhand lifts overall championship trophy; Maharashtra runner-up, UP secures third place

STATE TIMES NEWS JAMMU: The 15th National Vovinam Championship-2026, from 3rd September to 6th September 2026 organized by Vovinam Jammu & Kashmir under the aegis of the Vovinam Association of India (VAI), in collaboration with the J&K Sports Council, concluded today with a grand closing and prize distribution ceremony at the Indoor Sports Complex, Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu. Around 700 players and officials from 23 States/UTs across the country participated in the four-day National Championship, competing in Senior, Junior, Sub-Junior and Kids categories for both boys and girls Amit Goel, General Secretary, Raghunath Bazar Association, Jammu, was the Chief Guest, while Dr. Amit Vaid, Chairman, Vovinam J&K, was the Guest of Honour. They distributed medals and certificates to the winning athletes and congratulated the participants for their outstanding performances. The closing ceremony was attended by several distinguished officials and dignitaries as Guest of Honour including Shankar Mahable, General Secretary, Vovinam Association of India; Deven Moingthem, Technical Director, VAI; Sanal Kumar, Vice President, VAI; Hitesh Parmar and Sita Ganeshan, Vice Presidents, VAI; Ranjan Haldar and Vinod Lakhera, Joint Secretaries, VAI; Rishi, President, Uttarakhand Vovinam Association; and Vijendra Sisodiya, President, MP Vovinam Association. Sankalp Kamal, Vice President, Sambo Association of J&K Mrinal Langar Vice President Vovinam J&K, Agman Jain Joint Secretary Vovinam J&K Sanjay Khajuria, Member, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Samba; and Vikas Bhardwaj, Member, Sambo Association of J&K, Suresh Kumar, Rakesh Khullar were among the Special Guests present on the occasion. The ceremony commenced with a warm welcome address by Aman Sharma President Vovinam J&K, who welcomed the Chief Guest, Guest of Honour, distinguished guests, officials, association members, parents, coaches and participating players. Addressing the gathering, Praveen Garg, President, Vovinam Association of India, highlighted the various activities and initiatives being undertaken to promote Vovinam across the country. He stated that Vovinam is steadily gaining popularity in India and appreciated the efforts of athletes, coaches, officials and affiliated associations in promoting and developing the sport at the grassroots and national levels. Addressing the gathering, Chief Guest Amit Goel appreciated the efforts of the organizers and officials for the smooth, disciplined and successful conduct of the championship. He congratulated the medal winners and appreciated all the participating athletes for displaying sportsmanship, dedication and competitive spirit. The technical conduct of the championship was efficiently managed by the Technical Panel of the Vovinam Association of India, under the supervision of Brijesh Bhau, Organizing Secretary, ensuring the smooth and successful conduct of the championship. The championship witnessed enthusiastic participation by athletes from different parts of the country, providing them with an excellent platform to showcase their talent and competitive skills in Vovinam. The organizers expressed their gratitude to the J&K Sports Council, Vovinam Association of India, technical officials, coaches, parents, volunteers and all participating teams for their valuable support in making the 15th National Vovinam Championship-2026 a grand success. The vote of thanks was proposed by Hariket Jij, Treasurer, Vovinam Association of J&K, who expressed gratitude to the Chief Guest, Guest of Honour, distinguished guests, officials, technical panel, coaches, participating teams, parents, volunteers and all those who contributed to the successful conduct of the championship.