5 days ago
Hyd girl kicks to glory, wins bronze at Asian Karate Championship
Hyderabad: In a landmark moment for Indian karate, Hyderabad's Bhuvenshwari Jadhav clinched a bronze medal in the 68 kg weight category (kumite) at the prestigious 21st Asian Karate Championship, held recently in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.
Competing against top-tier karatekas from across the world, the 29-year-old not only secured her first continental medal but also booked a berth at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
"Bhuvaneshwari Jadhav also became the first Indian woman to reach the semifinals and win a bronze medal in this championship, which is second to the Asian Games in karate," said her mentor and coach, Keerthan Kondru, who also served as the head coach of the Indian contingent, appointed by the Karate India Organisation (KIO).
A
regular face in the Indian national team for over six years, Jadhav was sceptical while heading to the Asian Championship for her fourth appearance. However, a 20-day camp at the Olympic Training Centre in Tashkent prior to the tournament paid off. "For the first time, I got a chance to train with a group of Asian and world champions. It helped me test my standards and prepare shoulder-to-shoulder with Asia's elite.
It was a tough pool too, as there were many medallists from the previous years," recalled Jadhav while speaking to TOI.
Her competitors included former Asian Games medalist Aldrous Joud from Jordan and Japan's Kama Tsubasa, who won silver in this year's championship. "I won both my first two bouts against Jordan and China almost miraculously. The Chinese player was taller than me, so it was a tough contest. Against Japan (Tsubasa), I was leading 2-1 until the last second, but she scored and won," said Jadhav.
A 2017 economics graduate from Fergusson College, Pune, Jadhav began her professional karate journey at the age of 22, although her roots in the sport date back to her school days, with both her parents being karate practitioners. A native of Solapur district in Maharashtra, Jadhav moved to Hyderabad in late 2017 and has been training at Kondru's My Dojo Karate Academy in Nizampet.
Receiving just Rs 8,000 per month from her father to manage rent, food, and essentials, she stayed in a cramped PG accommodation with five others.
"I told my father I'll return in a month. It's been eight years since," she laughed.
Her breakthrough came in 2019 with her first national medal and a gold at the All India University Games. However, she faced a major setback in 2023 during the South Asian Championship in Nepal, where she suffered a severe ACL and meniscus in the finals and had to undergo surgery.
"Doctors predicted a nine-month recovery with a possible two-year return timeline.
But she fast-forwarded her rehabilitation and made a comeback in three months and reclaimed her national champion title — a feat that is nearly impossible for any athlete to achieve in just four months post-surgery," recalled Kondru.
"I'm very greedy about medals," remarked Jadhav and added, "I couldn't share it with anyone else." Her mother, Sangeeta Jadhav, says that the family has grown with her achievement. "She has our full support and should win a medal at the Asian Games 2026."
However, apart from Asians, Jadhav has big plans. "I want to do for karate what Neeraj Chopra did for javelin. Until he came, no one knew javelin. Now look. If I don't share my knowledge with youngsters, what's the point of all this?" she asked.
