MUSCAT: Students and faculty of Bodhi Life Skills Academy, Muscat, have brought home a record medal haul from the World Karate Championships held in Okinawa, Japan, and Chennai, India.
The academy secured 7 gold medals in Okinawa, the birthplace of karate. Winners included Head Instructor Kyoshi G Kumar, who took gold in the Demolition category, along with Pranav V Nair, Gopeshkrithik Parthasarathy, Gunit Chaturvedi, Taha al Zadjali, Maryam al Zadjali, and Rudra Vishal Sutar — all gold medallists in Kata.
In Chennai, the team dominated across Kata, Kobudo, and Kumite. Kyoshi G Kumar led with 3 golds, while students Yusuf Salahuddin and Abu Bakr Siddiq also swept 3 golds each. Other top performers included Raghav and Pranav Sathiyaraj, and Prarthana Menon, who added multiple golds, silvers and a bronze to the tally.
In recognition of the achievement, Kiyoshi Serizawa, Ambassador of Japan to Oman, hosted Kyoshi G Kumar and the champion delegation in Muscat to extend his congratulations.
The tour also marked a career milestone for the head instructor. In Okinawa, Grandmaster Anshi Kichiro Shimabuku, 10th Dan, promoted Kyoshi G Kumar to 7th Dan Red & White Belt, honouring his decades of leadership in Isshin-ryu Karate.
“This is a crowning achievement for our academy,” said Kyoshi G Kumar. “To be commended by the Ambassador of Japan and promoted by Grandmaster Shimabuku, while our students excel globally, makes us immensely proud.” Sports federations, academy management and parents also congratulated the team for raising Oman’s flag on the international stage.
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