Bengaluru girls, Akshatha Ravindra and Divyashree Satyanarayan can’t really remember a time when they weren’t fascinated by the testing art of Muay Thai. But it was only after constant motivation did they decide to pursue the unconventional form of combat sports — only to find themselves representing the country at international platforms.
The zesty youngsters tell us more, as they prep up for the sixth edition of TAFISA (The Association For International Sport for All ) to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia from October 6 to 12.
“I started training about two years ago, when a friend of mine suggested I hit the gym, on finding that I often felt my energy dip. But the whole idea of running on a treadmill seemed awfully boring to me. During one of my workout sessions, I came across a punching bag. It seemed a lot interesting and I asked my trainer if we could work something around that. Within the first few boxing sessions, I was hooked. Being somebody who was always interested in different forms of self defense, I knew this was it. The next thing I remember doing a wee bit of research and that’s how it all started,” enthuses Akshatha, a 23-year-old interior designer by profession about her tryst with combat sports. But for Divyashree, it was her resolute to give a childhood passion a chance that drove her.
“I started training before a year and a half. I was awestruck by Muay Thai art since my childhood and keen on learning it as soon as I became independent. It was hard in the beginning, to manage both long hours work and training, but the fact that I wanted to live my childhood dream mattered.”
The duo ,who train at the Xtreme Muay Thai Academy, will be representing in the women’s category, and attribute it all to their coach, Hemanth Kumar’s unwavering faith in them.
“Initially, my parents were a little apprehensive. They felt I wasn’t made for the sport. It was only my trainer who felt I could make the cut. But off late, they’ve been extremely supportive of my decision. I owe a lot of it to people who believed in me even before I did,” says Divyashree.
While they share a common love for sports, there are other interests that they make time for. When quizzed about the same, Divyashree swiftly responds, “I am a mechanical design engineer by profession, so, I like getting conversant with the latest developments in the technology in my free time. Reading novels are also what I make time for!”
On the other hand, Akshatha reiterates how juggling training with college leaves her with absolutely no time. “It’s usually jampacked all through the day. But if I were to get a couple of hours in a day for leisure, I would be playing badminton, spending time with kids or travelling.”
Speaking about what’s next on the radar, the duo reason the importance of living in the present.
“Our focus is on the championship. We like to take one day at a time. We’d also like to discover other avenues and inspire youngsters to take up the sport — it’s time more young women learn unconventional art and sports forms,” the conclude.
