Shopian, July 7: In a heartening tale of grit and determination, Arham Parray, a young athlete from the remote village of Keller in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, has emerged as a symbol of hope and inspiration by bagging a silver medal at the Junior National Wushu Championship.
Arham’s achievement is not just a personal milestone—it reflects the silent revolution taking place in India's rural heartlands through the Khelo India initiative. A regular trainee at the Khelo India Wushu Centre in Shopian, Arham is one among many budding sportspersons benefitting from the government’s focused efforts to provide structured training, expert coaching, and world-class facilities at the grassroots level.
Launched to nurture talent from remote and underserved regions, the Khelo India scheme has turned villages like Keller into talent hubs, breaking the myth that excellence in sports is confined to urban centers.
“Arham’s silver is not just a medal—it’s a message,” remarked a coach at the centre. “It proves that with the right support and training, youth from even the most far-flung areas can rise to the national stage.”
The Khelo India programme is more than just a sports development plan—it is a transformative movement that is instilling discipline, confidence, and ambition in children across rural India.
Arham’s journey from the hills of Shopian to the national podium is a shining example of what focused support, opportunity, and sheer perseverance can achieve. As more stories like his emerge, Khelo India continues to sow the seeds of a sporting renaissance in the country’s villages—one medal, one dream at a time.
