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Siliguri, Sept. 14: A 12-year-old kickboxer from Siliguri is set to take on the ring in Serbia as a representative of the country in the cadets and junior category.
Ishwary Sunar, the Class VII student of St Alphonsa School, will take part in the semi-contact event for the Under-16 group. She will be India’s representative at the World Championship of Kickboxing to be held from September 19 to 26 in Belgrade.
Secretary general of the Indian Association of Kickboxing Organisation (IAKO) Montu Das said Ishwary will be part of a 21-member team that will leave from Delhi on September 18.
“She was considered for the preliminary squad of the national side after her performance in the sub-junior category at the 14th National Kickboxing Championship in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, in October 2009. She got gold and silver in the semi-contact and aero kickboxing events,” Das told The Telegraph over the phone from Calcutta.
According to coach Biswanath Roy, Ishwary’s final selection was on the basis of her performance in the domestic events. She won gold at the 12th state meet at New Alipore in Calcutta in January. She also won gold in the state inter-school meet in Siliguri in July along with a silver at a national-level tournament held in Calcutta in August
“In all the sub-junior championships, she performed in the semi-contact event,” said the proud coach.
Roy, also the general secretary of the Darjeeling District Kickboxing Association, said: “I got the message of her selection from the officials of IAKO last month and she is leaving for Calcutta this evening.”
The young boxer is being sponsored by the IAKO for the Serbia meet organised by the World Association of Kickboxing Organisations.
Ishwary, who used to kickbox for two hours daily, is now practising for four hours. “I have worked hard for the event and I hope to get good results for my country,” said the girl, whose father has a fast food stall at Kadamtala, 12km from here. “We are proud that she will represent the country in such a big international event. Once she returns, we will felicitate her,” said Sister Lincy, principal of St Alphonsa School.
