13/01/2021
Its 2019, at Dubai Budokan a 16 year old Indian kid has been moved up to fight senior opponents, as he is extraordinarily tall for his age. However, the kid manages to do well, and ends up with a Silver medal, making his team proud.
When you talk to Amrith, he comes across as a quiet kid. But a few minutes into the conversation, his passion for the sport, and his determination to win medals for India comes right up. When asked if he has ever had to use his karate skills in real life, he chuckles giving a hesitant yes 😊.
His love for Brucelee and Jackie Chan movies is what encouraged him to attend his first karate class with a neighbourhood friend. Little did he and his parents know that an extracurricular class will lead to their son becoming an international athlete.
Maintaining an academic schedule, while supporting their kid’s karate journey, had its own challenges for the parents. The first tournament he ever participated in, was a particularly emotional one. Nervous about how his mom would feel, possibly seeing him get hurt in his first professional match, he insisted that she skips coming to the match altogether 😊.
However, things have changed now. When asked if she ever feels scared about her son’s safety, Radhika is quick to point out that being an ex-army officer’s daughter, and an independent educationist herself, she chooses to look at things positively. Also, her son’s growing tactfulness in choosing, managing and adapting to his opponents has given her a lot of confidence in his abilities.
According to Radhika, practising martial arts on regular basis has really helped Amrith in his growing up years. His awareness when it comes to his physical fitness, and diet has grown leaps and bounds. No wonder, the teenager is already 6 ft 2 inches now!
The family has also had to meet the financial challenges of sending their son to international tournaments. So far they have managed to the same on their own, with little assistance. Their efforts paid off, when Amrith won a silver medal at Dubai Budokan, and at a Srilankan karate championship. He aims to win more medals for his country in the future. Cheers to Amrith, may he win many more.
