Tanmay Makharia with his kickboxing prize. (Bishwarup Dutta)

He’s got a killer smile but Ballygunge boy Tanmay Makharia would rather knock ’em down with a kick like Van Damme’s.

At 11, Tanmay — as adept at delivering a punchline as he is at throwing a punch — has become the first Indian to strike gold in a world kickboxing competition.

“I was just enjoying all the kicking and punching… Never put pressure on myself,” Tanmay, a student of St James School, said of his gilt-edged performance in the IV WAKO World Cadet Championships at Belgrade in Serbia that featured fighters from 51 nations.

The victory has turned Tanmay, who idolises Sachin Tendulkar but chose kickboxing over cricket, into a celebrity in school with classmates seeking tips in self-defence and others chasing him for autographs. But ask him whether life has changed in any way and he shrugs it off.

“I am just passionate about kickboxing,” smiled Tanmay.

Aditya and Ruchi Makharia are proud parents of two kickboxing talents: Tanmay and his sister Ayushi, 13, with both participating in the Belgrade tourney. “Tanmay started off slow but really picked up during the competition when he saw that he had a chance of winning,” said mother Ruchi.

Coach Montu Das, who had trained Sourav Ganguly in kickboxing as part of his comeback regimen in 2007, attributed Tanmay’s success to “courage, tenacity and perseverance”.

Kickboxing is not only a martial art but also a fitness drill that increases strength and reflexes. “One can burn up to 400 calories in an hour,” said Montu Das, pointing out that more than 2,000 Calcuttans were pursuing kickboxing seriously.

Tanmay, who like actor and kickboxing icon Jean-Claude Van Damme took up martial arts at the age of 10, looks to be on the right road. “He avoids junk food and practises for three hours at a stretch every day before competitions,” said father Aditya.