Mumbai resident Neha Chande has bagged a gold medal in the 'Beauty Therapy' segment of WorldSkills Oceania competition 2015 held in New Zealand.
Five other children from India have also won two silver and three bronze medals across the categories.
WorldSkills Oceania, which is hosted by WorldSkills New Zealand, had over 100 participants from seven countries-- New Zealand, Australia, Korea, Canada, Malaysia, China and India-- this year.
This is the first time WorldSkills India has sent its contingent to participate in WorldSkills Oceania. Out of 14 candidates, who represented India at the competition, six have been announced winners and felicitated with medals of excellence in their respective categories.
These candidates are part of the Final 29 India team, which will also be representing the country in WorldSkills at Sau Paulo in Brazil in August 2015.
A statement issued by WorldSkills said, Union Minister of State for Skill Development Rajiv Pratap Rudy congratulated the Indian team on the success.
"This is a remarkable performance by our India contingent and this is just the first step towards making our mark in the skills landscape," Rudy said.
"My ministry has been entrusted by our Prime Minister, with making our country a skilled nation and we are currently creating synergies across departments and ministries to ensure that this happens very quickly," he added.
Dilip Chenoy, Managing Director and CEO, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) said: "My heartiest congratulations to all 6 winners, who have made the country proud. This is a great beginning and a fabulous achievement for us".
"I am happy to learn that 2 of the 6 medalists are women. I am happy to see the enthusiasm, passion and competitive spirit that the participants have showcased," he added.
