Nisha Chettri 

Kalimpong March 31, 2015: 

while the rest of the world is obsessed with soccer and cricket, a handful of children coached by Sushan Thapa in Karate kids club are identifying their passion in the field of martial art where they don’t fail to bag medals when they return from any competition like they won 4 medals in 3rd North-East India Karate-Do Championship2015 which was held on 28th-29th March in Nehru Stadium, Guwahati, Assam. 

‘44 children under the banner of Karate Kids Club (KKC) represent Darjeeling Gorkha karate-Do Association (DGKA) when it comes to performing in a competition’ said the chief coach.

Without distracting their regular studies, the children practice their art with enthusiasm only on weekends, informs Thapa who is also the secretary of DGKA after KKC.

DGKA is an organization which was formed in 2011 with the motive to promote and develop Karate as a significant sport in the Hills.

However, in the last competition which was organized by North-East State Karate-Do Federation of India (NESKFI) and hosted by United karate-Do Association Assam, 4 children out of 12 participants from Darjeeling Gorkha karate-Do Association acquired different medals.

Animesh Rai a student of Grace Acdemy, Kalimpong won a silver medal in sub-junior, below 7 years, boy’s individual kumite event similarly Ushnata Chettri studying in Kendra Vidhalaya Durpen, won a bronze medal in Sub-Junior 10yrs Girls Individual kumite event, which was followed by Esha Gurung from Girls Higher Secondary School in Sub-Junior 10yrs Girls Individual Kata event and Yesh Raj Gurung from Mt. Carmel School in Sub-Junior 13yrs Boys Individual Kumite (three acquired bronze medals)

Meanwhile the children are practicing for their upcoming competition which is likely to be held in Delhi soon.