Nagpur: In a proud moment for the city, three young karate players from the Karate-Do Association of Nagpur District have been selected to represent Maharashtra at the prestigious 4th KIO National Cadet, Junior & Sub-Junior Karate Championship, 2025. The championship will be held from June 12 to 15, 2025, at the Multi-purpose Hall, Parade Ground, Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
The selected athletes are:
Gold Rate
13 June 2025
• Raghav Bhangde – Competing in the 11-year Sub-Junior Boys Individual Kata category, representing MOD – The Fight & Fitness Dojo
• Zainab Firdous – Competing in the 11-year Sub-Junior Girls Individual Kumite category, representing MIKADO Martial Art Academy
• Sanskar Tiwari – Competing in the Junior Boys Individual Kumite (Under 50kg weight category), representing STEPS Karate Club
The championship is being organized by the Karate India Organisation (KIO), which is affiliated with the South Asian Karate Federation (SAKF), Asian Karate Federation (AKF), and World Karate Federation (WKF). The event is being conducted under the leadership of Hanshi Bharat Sharma, President of KIO.
All three players extended heartfelt gratitude to their respective coaches — Mr. Emmanuel Philip, Mrs. Shahwar Khan, and Mr. Syed Shiraz — for their unwavering guidance and support.
The athletes were felicitated at a special function held at Poonam Arcade, Sadar, Nagpur, on June 8, 2025. The event was graced by Hanshi Dr. Zakir S. Khan, President of the Karate-Do Association of Nagpur District, Deputy Director of Physical Education at Anjuman College of Engineering & Technology, and Organizing Commission Member of KIO.
Also present on the occasion were Sachin Lohakare, General Secretary of the Karate-Do Association of Nagpur District, along with executive members Akshay Pathrabe, Kiran Yadav, Rahul Yadav, and Anwar Ali.
The city wishes Raghav, Zainab, and Sanskar the very best as they gear up to compete on the national stage and bring laurels to Nagpur and Maharashtra.
