Kolkata girl Bipaasha Paul has clinched a gold medal at the South Asian Karate Championship in Colombo, adding another feather to her cap following a double-gold triumph at the National Karate Championship earlier this year.
Fourteen-year-old Bipaasha, recognized at The Telegraph Online Edugraph 18 Under 18 Award 2025 in February, participated in the cadet individual female kata category at the event held on July 4 and 5.
At the tournament, Bipaasha, a resident of Mukundapur, competed against karatekas from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
“I’m now a South Asian champion, and that feels really special. It was only the gold medallists from each country who could participate, so being the best among the best makes me very proud,” Bipaasha told My Kolkata, still buzzing from the win.
Ujjesha Ghosh, Diya Roy and Bipaasha Paul with their silver
She also bagged silver in the junior female team kata, alongside teammates Ujjesha Ghosh and Diya Roy, after a tight face-off with a strong opponent team.
“We gave our best. Ujjesha, Diya and I kept our team spirit high and are happy with our silver, but we know we can improve and come back stronger,” she said.
Bipaasha trains at the Premjit Sen Martial Arts Academy under the guidance of hanshi Premjit Sen, who accompanied her to Colombo. “Before the event, sir told me to give a ‘wow performance’ — and I think I did,” she said.
Bipaasha Paul geared up and ready to go big
Sen had earlier predicted her success at the nationals as well. “He asked me to stay focused,” said Bipaasha.
Looking ahead, the class X student of The Heritage School is gearing up for the Asian Karate Championship in China this September.
“South Asian was like a training round. My real target is the Asian Championships. I’m working hard for that,” she said over the phone while she was on her way to practise.