Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goa’s Shikha Pathak, a prominent figure in India’s Ju-Jitsu community, has achieved a significant milestone with her selection as an official referee for the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. The event will take place from December 9 to 20, 2025, across Bangkok and Chonburi in Thailand.
Pathak’s appointment is being celebrated as a proud moment for Goa and for India, reflecting her steady rise in the sport and the growing global recognition of Indian officials. While the SEA Games is a regional event for Southeast Asian nations, organisers, along with the Ju-Jitsu International Federation, bring in select international referees to ensure a high level of technical accuracy and impartiality.
Sharing her excitement, Pathak described the opportunity as a cherished milestone, adding that she is fully committed to maintaining fairness and professionalism throughout the competition.
The 2025 SEA Games, sanctioned by the Southeast Asian Games Federation, will showcase leading athletes from the region across several sports, including Ju-Jitsu. Pathak’s inclusion on the officiating panel is regarded as a strong acknowledgment of India’s expanding footprint in the technical and administrative arenas of combat sports.
Her achievement follows years of rigorous training, hands-on experience and unwavering dedication. It has been widely praised within sporting circles in Goa, where her journey is seen as an inspiration for emerging athletes and officials in Ju-Jitsu and other combat disciplines.
Pathak’s role at the Games is expected to strengthen India’s presence on the international officiating stage and contribute to enhanced exposure and learning for the country’s sporting community. With preparations underway, well-wishers across the Indian sports fraternity have extended their support as she gets ready to represent the nation in Thailand.
