Kolkata: There have been plenty of instances in the past when a child has derived inspiration from his parents and has done well ahead in life. But can you ever imagine, that a nine-year old kid can inspire his mother in taking up a sport? Well, that’s exactly the case with the Lodha family.
Prakher Lodha, is a nine-year old boy studying in South Point School who regularly practices Karate and has done quite well in it. His mother, Nawnweet Priya Lodha, has taken inspiration from her son and has taken up the sport.
“I used to accompany him to practice everyday, sit and wait for him for one-and-half hours to finish and then I’d take him home. Sitting for all the time he was in practice and chatting continuously with others was something which was beyond my capacity. So I decided to make this move” she said on the sidelines of a press conference at the Calcutta Sports Journalist’s Club recently.
She further adds, ” I used to closely watch him practise and used to think that I was right with him during the training. I wanted to practise with him. That made me take up the sport.”
On asked whether she always wanted to take up Karate in life, she said, “During my teenage days, there was a self-defense program introduced in our school. Karate was a part of it. It is over there that I first learned about the sport and realised that it is a form of empowerment for girls.
“But I couldn’t continue with Karate as there was no awareness regarding the sport at that time and also, a very common notion that prevailed then was that women shouldn’t go into wrestling. However the notions have changed now,” she said.
“It didn’t happen then. It has happened now and in the December of 2014, I finally enrolled myself” she elaborated.
But the coincidences just doesn’t end here. Her son, Prakher Lodha won the gold medal in the International Karate Championship in Malaysia and she too, won the same prize from her category in the very same competition. So here it stands- A mother inspired by her child to take up a sport and winning the gold medal along with him in the same tournament. Who said nothing’s possible?
But she wants that Karate as a sport should be taken seriously and should get a recognition in the society. “There are so many talented children who are into Karate. We have to change our mindset from sending children for cricket or football coaching and instead divert them here because whatever we do today, it would be for the future.”
However she feels that age would be a factor for her to continue with Karate but she is taking steps to remain connected to the sport. She said, ” I am now undergoing official training for becoming a referee. I feel I can do it and all credit goes to Shihan (her trainer) who keeps me motivated and always supports me.”
On her son’s future in the sport, she said, “He has won many medals in the sport and now he would participate next in the junior tournament of KAI (Karate Association of India). This tournament needs tough preparations and Shihan would be training him.”
The Karate Association of Bengal has scripted history in the International Karate Championship as there was a total of eight gold and silver medals and 14 bronze medals won by the state, besides receiving the honour of being named as the , ‘Best state.’
The winners: Arinjita Dey- Gold (Sub Junior 9years KATA) Sanjukta Chakraborty-Gold (Sub Junior 9years KATA) Rishika Patra- Gold (Sub Junior 11 years KATA) Pratay Sarkar- Gold (Sub Junior 8 years KATA) Ayushman Roy- Gold (Sub Junior 9years KATA) Dipayan Mondal- Gold (Sub Junior 10 years KATA) Subhadip Srimani- Gold (Sub Junior 11 years Kumite+ 35 kg) Amiya Sundar Biswas- Gold (Sub Junior 12 years KATA) Madhurima Mondal-Silver (Sub Junior 11years Kumite+ 35kg) Subhobrata Maity-Silver (Sub Junior 13years Kumite+40 kg) Shova Saha- Bronze (Sub Junior 10 years Kumite-25 kg) Divyani Mondal- Bronze (Sub Junior 12 years KATA) Abhilasha Mondal-Bronze (Sub Junior 11 years Kumait-35kg) Subhobrata Maity- Bronze (Sub Junior 13 years KATA) Namrata Prabat- Bronze (Cadet Female KATA) Megha Paul- Bronze (Cadet Female KATA 54 kg) Deepanwita Bera - Bronze (Junior Female KATA) Sayamsaha/ Gaurav- Bronze (Junior Male Team KATA) Raunak Sharma- Bronze (Junior Male Kumaite + 76 kg) Nomita Das - Bronze (U-21 Female Kumaite + 68 kg) Mamta Handsa- Bronze (U-21 Female Kumaite- 45 kg)