By Our reporter
SHILLONG, May 9: Two mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters from Meghalaya – Echwamida O Phawa and Darren Kharshandy representing Happy Red Rooster MMA from Laitumkhrah – brought laurels to the state after winning gold at the Annual India Nationals organized by the Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts India (GAMMAI) at the Mahaveer Institute, Hyderabad from May 5-8.
Phawa, who competed in the Straw Weight category (48 – 52kg) defeated four opponents to claim victory.
En route his final win, Phawa defeated Dokolu Bhadke (Andhra Pradesh), Kumar Vinit (Andhra Pradesh), Pegu Joyraj (Assam) and Weshi Laki (Arunachal Pradesh).
Meanwhile, Kharshandy, in the Bantam Weight category (57 – 61kg), followed a similar route to victory, going through Yadhav Jaikrishna (Andhra Pradesh), Payal Ajay (Uttarakhand), Perme Tor (Arunachal Pradesh) and Mairidin Newmai (Nagaland).
The victories saw Phawa and Kharshandy become national champions in their respective weight categories and have qualified to represent India at the GAMMA Asian Championships.
The event witnessed a total of over 100 athletes competing for national glory in the mixed martial arts event.