DIU: As the nation woke up on May 7 to the news of ‘Operation Sindoor’ — India’s precise missile strikes to destroy terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir — a quiet but determined group of athletes from Jammu and Kashmir was already on the road.
Among them was 25-year-old Towseefa Hassan from the sensitive Budgam region near Poonch, where recent shelling by Pakistan had kept the residents on edge.
Despite the heightened tension and the trauma following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Towseefa and her 16 teammates from Jammu and Kashmir were resolute.
They made their way to Lucknow for the Senior National Pencak Silat Championship, and now, days later, they are here, standing tall on the sands of Ghoghla Beach as proud participants at the inaugural Khelo India Beach Games.
“We are representing India in sport, while our soldiers are representing India on the battlefield,” the bespectacled Towseefa told PTI.
“Can there be a bigger motivation to make the region and country proud by winning medals?”
The Indian armed forces, in the early hours of May 7, launched precision missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, including the strongholds of Jaish-e-Mohammed in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke.
The strikes were in retaliation to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were gunned down.
An international medallist and one of India’s brightest athletes in the sport related to Indonesian martial arts form, Towseefa won a bronze in Lucknow.
She sees herself not just as an athlete, but also as a messenger of resilience and hope.
“Intially there was fear and I was anxious about my family back home and how we would reach the venues. But there was tight security, and we faced no issues while travelling.
“In fact, we were taken with extra care, and the hospitality in Lucknow was amazing — it felt like VIP treatment,” she recalled.
The senior nationals in Lucknow were also trials for the upcoming Asian Championship, which is scheduled to be held in Srinagar later this year.
Having already bagged a bronze at the last Asian event in Srinagar in 2022, Towseefa now dreams of making it to the Indian team again.
“I’ve previously won bronze at the Asian level, and I hope I’ll be selected again. I want to make the country proud — just like our brave soldiers,” she said.
Her journey into martial arts began with a father’s simple wish: to ensure his daughter was strong and safe.
“My father, who is a teacher, wanted me to learn self-defence. That’s how I started training. Then, after the Khelo India centre came up in Budgam about 10 years ago, I got selected, and since then, there’s been no looking back,” she added.
Their team official, Mohammed Iqbal, who coached India at pencak silat’s Asian Games debut in Jakarta 2018, has seen the transformation up close.
He remembers waking up with toothache on the morning of May 7 in Srinagar, only to find deserted streets and an eerie silence.
“I went to the dentist and asked him why the roads were so empty. He said, ‘You don’t know? There’s been a strike.’ That’s when I realised the gravity of what had happened,” he recounted.
Yet, the pencak silat camp in Budgam continued without a break, he said.
“Sports should not be mixed with politics. We have never faced any issue. The camp is still going on despite the border tension. For us, life goes on as usual,” Iqbal said.
He praised Towseefa and her teammates for their determination, calling them true symbols of courage like the sport itself.
“Pencak silat is now practiced in 18 out of 19 districts in Jammu and Kashmir. The sport is growing rapidly, especially among girls.
“There are hundreds like Towseefa who are showing true courage, not just in the ring but in rising above the circumstances to make the region proud,” he said.
“Thanks to the Government of India, we feel safe and secure. The support we’ve received has been incredible. These girls have come here with a strong heart and true motivation — they are the real messengers of peace and progress.”
Team manager Aqsa Gulzar echoed Iqbal’s sentiments.
“These girls show the true fighting spirit. To come here, compete, and win medals despite the situation back home is a big achievement. Their journey doesn’t end here.
“We have the national camp next, and then the Asian Championship in Srinagar. With the Asian Games coming up next year, we’re hopeful this is just the beginning,” she added.
The Beach Games have become the fifth vertical under the Sports Ministry’s Khelo India programme, alongside Youth, University, Para, and Winter Games.
The six-day event, concluding on Saturday, features beach soccer, volleyball, kabaddi, sepak takraw, pencak silat, and open water swimming.
Mallakhamb and tug-of-have also been included as demonstration sports. (PTI)