Joshi sisters Sanjana and Snehal excel at 2022 Asia Triathlon Cup and South Asian Championships in Nepal

The Joshi sisters, Sanjana and Snehal, excelled at the recently held 2022 Asian Triathlon Cup and South Asian Championships in Pokhara, Nepal.

Sanjana Joshi, 16, represented India and finished second in the South Asian Championship and eighth in the Asian Triathlon Cup.

Snehal Joshi, 19, represented India and finished 11th in the Asian Triathlon Cup.

The competition was organized by the International Triathlon Union in Pokhara, Nepal. Sanjana and Snehal were selected by the Indian Triathlon Federation to represent the national team in Pokhara for the international competition.

The Nagpur teenagers train at Miles N Milers Endurance Sports Academy and are coached by Dr Amit Samarth.

The Joshi sisters secured podium positions in the South Asian Championship and Duathlon Cup and brought laurels to the country. These events are accredited by the World Triathlon.

The Joshi sisters represented India in Nepal. (Pic credit: ProHealth Foundation)

Sanjana and Snehal earned a place in the Indian team after their impressive performances in the selection trials held in Chennai a couple of months ago.

Snehal won the gold medal in Olympic distance, and Sanjana won silver at the National Open Championship, organized by the Indian Triathlon Federation in Chennai.

Only the top-two finishers from the Chennai event participated in the South Asian Championship clubbed with the Asian Championship, and Sanjana was one of them.

Besides India and hosts Nepal, players from Japan, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, and Austria participated in the Asian Triathlon Cup.

The Joshi sisters aim to represent India at the Asian Games and Olympics

Sanjana and Snehal have future plans to participate in various World Cup races organized by the World Triathlon in the next few years.

The Joshi sisters want to do well in the international meets so that they can qualify for triathlon events at the Asian and Olympic Games.

Sanjana told Sportskeeda on Friday:

“I am happy with my performance in Nepal. I finished second in the South Asian Championship and 8th position in the Asia Triathlon Cup. It was a good exposure tour for me and I am satisfied with my show. I want to train hard and aim to do better in the next competitions. Our coach Amit Samarth has been guiding us well for the last few years.”

Teenage Joshi sisters of Nagpur proudly display the national flag in Nepal. (Pic credit: ProHealth Foundation)

Sanjana, a Standard XII student at Somalwar Nikalas School, Nagpur, wants to improve her fitness for better timings in future competitions under the guidance of mentor Amit Samarth.

Coach Amit Samarth, who himself is a world-class ultra-cyclist, said:

“Both Sanjana and Snehal are very talented and hard working. I am pushing them hard so that they can achieve even better results in the future. If they progress well then they can certainly qualify for major events like the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Olympics. Success in Nepal will certainly boost their confidence and act as a tonic for them.”

The triathlon (sprint distance) consisted of 750-meter swimming, 20-km cycling, and 5-km running.

Snehal Joshi in action in Nepal. (Pic credit: ProHealth Foundation)

Snehal is a first-year mechanical engineering student at the Government Engineering College in Nagpur and is equally good at swimming, cycling, and running.