Aradhya Dhibar Wins 2 Gold in Kickboxing World Cup
Meet Aradhya Dhibar, the 9-year-old kickboxing sensation from Durgapur who won double gold at the Kickboxing World Cup in Thailand. A heartwarming tale of grit, glory, and a truly knockout performance.
Well, hold onto your bowler hats and brace yourselves, folks — because there’s a tiny titan from Durgapur who’s just delivered a right royal wallop on the world stage! In a tale that could easily give a Bollywood blockbuster a run for its money, 9-year-old Aradhya Dhibar has brought home not one, but two gold medals from the Kickboxing World Cup held in Bangkok, Thailand. And no, we’re not pulling your leg — this young lass really is that good.
The world championship, which unfolded from the 7th to the 12th of April at the Bangkok Youth Centre Indoor Stadium, looked more like a martial arts version of the United Nations — with nearly 900 fighters from about 40 countries showing up to throw some serious kicks and punches (all in good sporting spirit, of course). Presiding over the grand opening was none other than Roy Baker, head honcho of WAKO — the World Association of Kickboxing Organisations — a man who clearly knows his uppercuts from his elbow strikes.
Representing India was a contingent of 31 people, including 22 athletes. And leading the charge in the ‘Child’ category — a label that feels slightly ironic given the fierce energy these kids bring — was Aradhya, the only one from India to do so. Competing in both the under-36 kg and over-36 kg point fight events, she made it a clean sweep. That’s right — two events, two golds. Talk about punching above your weight.
Now, Aradhya’s rise to the top hasn’t been all sunshine and samosas. Earlier this year, she had already turned heads (and possibly knocked a few off, figuratively speaking) by bagging three gold medals at the WAKO India Open International Championship in Delhi. That smashing performance earned her the ticket to Thailand — and the rest, as they say, is history. Glorious, glittering, gold-plated history.
Her mother, Kakoli, revealed that Aradhya has been training under coach Ishwar Majhi for just over a year and a half. Not a long time by martial arts standards, but clearly enough for the young champ to rise faster than a poorly baked soufflé in an oven. The financial struggle to get Aradhya to Thailand was real, with her family initially finding themselves up a financial creek without a paddle. But thanks to the generosity of her school and a few good Samaritans, the dream became a reality. And thank heavens it did.
Aradhya, a student of Class III at a private English-medium school in Kamalpur, Durgapur, now boasts a glittering collection of 20 medals — yes, twenty! — from school, district, state, national and international competitions. It’s a wonder her trophy shelf hasn’t collapsed under the sheer weight of all that metal.
Her coach, Ishwar Majhi, had nothing but praise for his pupil: “She’s a real grafter, that one. In just eighteen months, she’s gone from a shy beginner to an unstoppable force in the ring. With the right support, there’s no telling how far she’ll go.” We’d say the sky’s the limit, but Aradhya seems quite capable of giving the sky a swift kick and going even further.
Local dignitaries are chuffed to bits too. Asansol Durgapur Development Authority Chairman Kabi Dutta summed it up best: “Aradhya is the pride of Durgapur, West Bengal, and the entire nation. We wish her continued success.”
And so, as the people of Durgapur bask in this golden glow, there’s a lesson here for all of us: never underestimate a nine-year-old with a dream, a determined coach, and a knockout right hook.
Because when it comes to Aradhya, it’s not just child’s play — it’s pure gold.
News Sources : anandabazar.com
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