Young karatekas practise on the Salt Lake rooftop. (Sanat Kumar Sinha)

Seven kids have bridged the distance between Salt Lake and Johannesburg on the wings of a sport that languishes on the sidelines — karate.

Five have returned with medals from the Commonwealth Karate Championships. That was on October 20. On November 15, the mayor granted them an audience for 15 minutes and a chocolate each, that too after the Karate Association of Bengal put in a request to meet him. There has been no state felicitation yet.

But coach Premjit Sen would rather brush aside such “disappointments” and talk about the success. “This is the best showing ever by India in the tournament. With five golds, 20 silvers and 15 bronzes we were declared the Best Performing Visitor Country,” says Sen, who coaches the Bengal kids round the year on his Salt Lake rooftop.

Seven of the medals have landed in Calcutta but the children can barely hide their pain. “When the cricket team or even the tennis players come there are people to receive them at the airport... no one turns to look at us here,” 13-year-old Shreya Choudhury, a member of the kumite bronze-winning team, burst out.

The members had to arrange for their own passage money. “The cost came to about Rs 85,000. I am lucky to have got promise of a partial sponsorship from the state sports department,” says Rajyashree Brahmachari, mother of Rukmini, a member of the bronze-winning team.

Rishav Saha, a gold medal winner, had his mother Sangita accompany him, at her own cost of course. “She is my lucky charm,” the 11-year-old beams. Puja Dhar cherishes the memory of the Zimbabwean team waving the Tricolour when Rishav got on the podium.

But the most memorable moment for the little Indians was “seeing Shihan’s (teacher, referring to Sen) beaming face after winning the medal.”