J&K's Danish Manzoor Honoured With Mahatma Gandhi Rashtriya Seva Medal For Taekwondo Achievements

Taekwondo athlete Danish Manzoor from Baramulla has been honoured with the Mahatma Gandhi Rashtriya Seva Medal on Gandhi Jayanti. The award ceremony took place at Hotel International in Srinagar, organised by the Gandhi Global Family under Padma Shri Dr. S. P. Verma's leadership. This recognition highlights Danish's significant contributions to sports and his role in promoting peace and discipline.

The Mahatma Gandhi Rashtriya Seva Medal is a prestigious accolade, second only to the highest honour from the Gandhi family. It has been awarded to notable figures like His Holiness the Dalai Lama, former President K R Narayanan, and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. This year, Danish was among six recipients, including SSP Traffic Rural Kashmir Ravinder

Pal Singh.

Danish began his Taekwondo journey at 13 in Kashmir's modest training halls. Over time, he has become one of India's top athletes in the sport. He holds a World Taekwondo-approved athlete's license and has represented India at numerous Olympic-ranking championships globally.

His international achievements include a bronze medal at the 13th Elite Cup International Taekwondo Championships in Jordan (2025). He also finished in the top five at the World Taekwondo Octagon Diamond G4 event in South Korea (2023) and performed well at events like the Israel Open G2 (2022) and Fajr Cup in Tehran (2024).

In 2022, Danish was named a Fit India Ambassador, becoming the only Taekwondo athlete in India with this title. This recognition underscores his influence in promoting fitness and sportsmanship across the nation.

The award not only celebrates Danish's sporting success but also emphasises sports' role as a tool for peace and nation-building. His journey from Baramulla to global Olympic events exemplifies resilience and sport's transformative power.

Help Foundation Chairperson Nighat Shafi Pandit congratulated Danish on receiving the award, describing it as "a proud moment for Kashmir and a motivation for every aspiring athlete. " Her words reflect the community's pride in Danish's achievements.

At the ceremony, Danish expressed his emotions: "Walking into arenas abroad is always emotional because I come from Baramulla, where such dreams were rare. To now receive the Mahatma Gandhi Rashtriya Seva Medal is not just my victory-it belongs to every young athlete from Jammu & Kashmir who believes in perseverance. "