National Gold medalist Arka Banerjee has been selected to represent India in the forthcoming 24th Senior World Karate Championship (senior individual Kata category) in Spain. The 22-year-old is super excited to represent the country on the biggest stage in the sport.
“It is an honour and a privilege to represent India, and this is what every player dreams of,” says Arka, adding, “I would like to ascribe my success to hours of practise, the support of my parents, and my coach Keerthan Kondru.”
2018 has been a dream year for Arka. He recently scripted history when India won gold in the senior category for the first time in the Thailand Open in July. Earlier this year, Arka also won two golds at the US Open in Las Vegas.
Ask what these victories mean to him and he replies, “They (wins) haven’t changed me much, but have only made me more determined to thrive on excellence. However, the thrilling aspect of all these wins is that all of them have been historic ones.”
A third-year student from Malla Reddy Engineering College, Arka took to Karate when he was in class four. “As a kid, I used to end up in brawls; it was then that my parents decided to utilise my aggression in a better way. One of my teachers spotted my potential in Karate. I started receiving professional training and since then, it’s been a long and fulfilling journey,” he recalls.
Born and raised in Kolkata, Arka says that Hyderabad holds a special place in his heart. “It was only after coming to Hyderabad a few years back that I was able to excel. My game started picking up and I could get access to better infrastructure. My coach Keerthan sir (a National champion and current Indian Karate Team coach) encouraged me to give my best,” shares Arka, who relocated to Hyderabad in 2016.
He admits that one of the toughest challenges has been to balance studies and Karate. “It was difficult to balance both, but my college management has been supportive. Their efforts are making me more determined to make it big,” says the Karate champion who practises for five hours in a day.
Arka is quick to add that Karate has brought about a sea-change in his personality. “Participating in various international tournaments has made me more confident and balanced. It has also taught me to be open-minded,” he says as he signs off.
