Nava Shakti sets her goal high

​Tirupati: Ryali Nava Shakthi, the 15-year old girl was the recipient of about 40 gold medals in Karate. Apart from Karate, she exceled in Skating and Swimming too and won many accolades. She started the sporting career at the age of 3.5 years and had swum 4.5 kms in Krishna River in 2007 which made her to enter the Limca Book of Records as the Youngest Swimmer. She won the gold medal at the National Open Karate Championship 2018 held at Amaravati on December 9, 2018. This talented girl could not go to World Championships even after being selected for it thrice for want of sponsorship.

Records and medals were not new to Nava Shakthi. At the age of six years she was the Youngest Black Belt 3rd Don in India in 2010. She has won National Karate Championship for 10 times continuously from 2009 to 2018 and bagged many gold medals in National Open Karate Championships, Grand Karate Championships, South India Karate Championship and State Karate Championship as well for number of times.

She excelled in All India Karate Federation (AIKF) Championship as well which is being held once in every three years. In all she was having more than 40 gold medals so far. Now, she has been preparing to participate in AIKF Championship in Bhubaneshwar to be held in January and Indo Nepal Karate International Championship to be held in Nepal in April 2019. She along with her team has entered into the Guinness Book of Records in 2017.

Apart from Karate, she has exhibited good talent in skating and swimming as well. Nava Shakthi has won the National Championship and State Championship awards in skating. Besides these, she has received national award in 2008 which was presented by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. She was felicitated by then President of India Prathibha Patil and APJ Abdul Kalam. Also, she was honoured at International Children’s Film Festival held on November 14, 2009 at Hyderabad and received best child state award of Andhra Pradesh in 2008 and more than 30 other awards during the last 12 years.

With her performance, she was selected for World Championship thrice held at China once and twice at Japan but could not participate as she could not find sponsors. “As we could not afford the huge costs we have disappointed her. Our efforts to find a sponsor went in vein”, said her mother B Indumathi. Presently, she has been studying Junior Intermediate in AIM College of SDHR Group in Tirupati and its Correspondents Chakravarthi Reddy and Ram Sunil Reddy have been encouraging the girl very well and supporting her, said her mother.

Even then, she finds it difficult to look after Nava Shakthi’s training needs as it involves huge expenditure. “She needs a very good and nutritious diet. For her travel expenditure we have been spending huge amounts. For bigger tournaments she needs specialised coaching which also involves heavy expenditure”, said Indumathi. She was desperately looking for support from the government and a good sponsor with which her daughter can bring more glory to the country.

Nava Shakthi practices very hard every day balancing her studies and sports as she has set her goals very clear. She told The Hans India that her aim was to get gold medal in Olympics since Karate was introduced in that tournament. Besides, she wants to become a Group-I officer. All these are possible only when she finds a good sponsor who can take her aims to reach new heights.

- V Pradeep Kumar