No team from Karnataka at Sub-junior National Judo Championships

Bengaluru: Karnataka’s absence from the ongoing Sub-junior National Judo Championships in Pune has left young judokas frustrated, with many pointing fingers at the Karnataka Judo Association (KJA) for its lax attitude. 

Among nearly 1,200 participants from 29 states in the Sub-junior (12-14 years) and Cadet (15-17years) categories, Karnataka’s conspicuous absence has drawn ire from judokas and their parents.

“Yes, Karnataka is not here. We don’t know the reason why,” confirmed Shailesh Tilak, secretary of Maharashtra Judo Association and the organising committee of the Nationals. 

It's learnt that the KJA inexplicably didn't conduct the mandatory trials to select the teams this time around, denying the budding judokas from the State a chance to showcase their talent. The trials are held each year a month before the scheduled Nationals.

In an ideal scenario, the team would comprise 34 judokas (18 in Sub-junior and 16 in Cadet weight categories for both boys and girls) with four coaches. 

“This is not the first time that Karnataka was not sending a team to Nationals or National-level competitions,” said a source, who didn’t wish to be named. 

“The way the sport is handled by the state association has always been inconsistent over the years which is frustrating,” added the source. 

The lack of representation has serious consequences for Karnataka judokas. This year’s Nationals in Pune come with cash prizes for top-4 medalists — ₹11,000 for gold, ₹7,000 for silver, and ₹5,000 for each bronze medalist. Additionally, the event serves as trials for selecting the Indian team for the 2025 Sub-junior Asian Championships in Bangkok, scheduled for April 24-28.

“The kids who toil all year long are missing an opportunity to win medals, cash prizes and a chance at representing the country. What is the point of being a judoka if all of it is snatched away because the state association isn’t carrying out their basic responsibilities,” questioned a parent. 

Multiple calls to SR Shivananda, KJA secretary, from several parents seeking explanation have been ignored or the phone calls disconnected. 

Several calls and text messages by DH to Shivananda, who has been squatting in the secretary's position at the KJA since 1998, didn't elicit any answer. 

Incidentally, in an event with 14 weight categories (men: 7, women: 7), Karnataka had fielded a team of only 10 members (four men and six women) at the Senior National Judo Championships held in New Delhi from January 4-7 this year. And questions regarding no representation in four weight sections fell on KJA's deaf ears. 

The last time KJA followed protocol was in 2023 when the 41st Karnataka State Sub-junior Judo championships were held in the month of November here to select the Karnataka squad for the subsequent Nationals that took place in Kochi in December. Karnataka had returned with one silver and two bronze medals.