It is for the very first time that the Indian karate team has fared so successfully at the 2008 Commonwealth Karate Championship held at Edinburgh. As per the All India Karate Federation, the 16 member team which India had sent to the Championship created history by securing two golds and five bronze medals. Upon returning home, the youngsters were felicitated by the AIKF officials, Sensei Karate Thigarajan, president, chief coach and vice president Kyoshi Vispy B Kapadia recently.

After the felicitation ceremony, Vispy said, ‘The students have made us proud by creating history in Karate. It is a proud moment for the Karate fraternity.’ The AIKF vice president was very forthright when he remarked that he actually had not expected the team to perform so well and that it was a pleasant surprise for him and all else. ‘Once we started winning the bronze medal, our hunger for more wins began,’ he added.

Those from the Indian karate team who have won medals at the 2008 Commonwealth Karate Championship at Edinburgh include Anirudh Sakpal (1gold, 2 bronze medal), Seeta Salgia Patel (1 gold, 1 bronze), Arzoo Jain (3 bronze), Behram V Kapadia (1 bronze), Ayaan Ansari (1 bronze), Natalia Dalal (1 bronze), Monali Roy (1 bronze) and Shrishti Godbole (1 bronze).