New Delhi, Jan 13 A bronze medal in a top-level karate competition abroad is fuelling India's aspirations for the sport in the upcoming Asian Games in Japan, with intervention by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) helping practitioners of the sport dream big.
Alisha Subudhi’s historic bronze medal at the World Karate Federation (WKF) Series A Karate Championship in Tbilisi, Georgia, has highlighted that structured support towards non-mainstream sports disciplines can reap major benefits if constant backing persists.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI), particularly through the Target Asian Games Group (TAGG) scheme, has been supporting combat sports disciplines like karate, where India has not delivered major results at the highest international level in the past.
Alisha, supported via the TAGG scheme, became the first Indian woman to medal at a Karate 1 – Series A event, defeating her Croatian opponent 8-0 In the bronze medal contest this month. A robust high-performance ecosystem was created through efforts from SAI through targeted funding, elite coaching exposure, and intensive national camps.
SAI had funded a senior National Coaching Camp in Lucknow in November-December 2025, putting forward assistance of Rs. 1.2 crore under the ANSF scheme under the Assistance to National Sports Federations (ANSF) scheme, featuring 48 athletes.
The 45-day camp, held at the SAI Regional Centre, Lucknow, focused on match simulations, tactical sharpening, psychological conditioning, and recovery protocols. Alisha was a part of the camp.
“I especially thank TAGG for giving the financial support and organising an excellent national camp in Lucknow towards our preparation for the WKF Series A,” the 23-year-old Alisha said in a release issued by SAI.
In the absence of a recognised National Sports Federation for karate, the Sports Authority of India ensured uninterrupted athlete preparation by constituting a Karate Organising Committee to manage selection trials, camps, and international exposure, ensuring that performance pathways remained intact.
The committee had also conducted Open National Selection Trials in the Senior Category from 12–14 October at the SAI Training Centre in NEHU Campus, Shillong. The trials were fully managed by the Karate Organising Committee of SAI, ensuring compliance with international norms, anti-doping rules, and videography-based evaluation.
With major competitions like the Asian Games looming later this year, the sustained backing through TAGG and SAI-led national camps is expected to play a decisive role, especially in non-mainstream sports where India has not been able to make a mark internationally in the past.
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