New Delhi, Jun 7 (IANS): The 2024-25 edition of the Khelo India women's league kicks off with the South Zone wushu league in Bagalkot, Karnataka on June 10.

A total of 300 athletes will be participating across sub-junior, junior and senior categories in the Sanda and Taolu events.

The participation is open to all Wushu players from Andhra Pradesh, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep and Odisha.

A prize money of Rs 7.2 Lakh will be shared between the top eight wushu athletes from the sub-junior, junior and senior events.

The South Zone event is the first of the wushu leagues this season, with the action shifting to East Zone, North Zone and West Zones later this year.

The fourth season of the Khelo India women’s league initiative gets under way on the back of a successful 2023-24 season which saw a total of 502 completed tournaments and participation from over 56,000 women athletes from 36 States and UTs across 18 sports.

Commenting on the impact the league has had so far over the years national wushu head coach Kuldeep Handoo, told SAI Media, "The Khelo India women’s league has been a big boost to the wushu national calendar and female athletes across all the three divisions – sub-junior, junior and senior are benefitting from it. This is being lapped up really well and the participation figures have risen manifold."

"Initiatives like the Khelo India 10 ka Dum, where at least 800 women from every state came to compete, has changed the landscape altogether. Be it the Jammu and Kashmir, the North-East or any other zone of the country, wushu athletes are coming up aplenty and this is building up to more medals in the sport in international events. The league is a great initiative and a welcome step by SAI," Handoo added.