Bhaskar Sen
Age does not determine what a man can accomplish and what he cannot. And the perfect example of this is Bhaskar Sen, the young Karate Champion of India. At a tender age of seven where kids usually start getting acquainted with different poems and fairy tales, this child prodigy from Amity International School, Saket (Delhi) set his first step in the World of Karate. Bhaskar, who epitomises allegiance and grit took to karate after he was inspired by his elder brother, who was then a top ranked national player. He recently brought glory to India after he won the bronze medal at the 6th Commonwealth Karate Championships, 2011 held in Sydney. He is a Black Belt 1st Dan.
Introduction to Karate
“Since nursery I was with Amity International School. It is compulsory for every kid in the school to take up Karate from class K.G. I took it a little too serious and went ahead with it. I had a strong back up as my brother was a karate player and he motivated me a lot to take up the First Grade Belt in 2001. And it was also my coach Sensei Tarun Chakrabarty who came up to me and asked that whether I would like to carry it forward professionally, because he could see that I had it in me to take up the sports to the next level. I never looked back after that. It has been 10 years and I still have the same passion and vigor, that I had when I started,” said the 16-year-old karate champion, who brought glory to India by winning bronze medal at the recently concluded Commonwealth Karate Championships in Sydney.
Initial Days
Bhaskar SenLike any other mortal even he had to wait for his first glory. He won a medal for the first time in the Kobe Osaka Shito Ryu Championships in 2003. “I didn’t win the first time I stepped in the ring. It took me good three years to earn my first medal. I won a bronze medal in the Kobe Osaka Shito Ryu Championships. It was a major boost for me and I realized that I was on the right track,” added Bhaskar. But a lot goes to his parents when it comes to the initial days of this young karate talent. His mother was a little apprehensive in the beginning but eventually agreed to it. “Well initially I was not that confident about the whole thing. But he asked me for a chance and I also saw the potential in him. So I agreed to him. He has made optimum use of that one opportunity that he got and I am very happy that I made the decision of letting him join Karate,” said Nupur Sen, Bhaskar’s Mother.
Determination
“When I came into the world of martial arts, I didn’t know much about the sport. But one thing that I knew was that I would never leave Karate for anything. Well I never even knew if that was impulsive, because I was too small to understand what that meant. I had my share of frustrations during my 10 years of career in Karate, where I got eliminated in the first rounds, had injuries, could not take part in tournaments due to unavoidable circumstances too name a few. But I never let all these pose as an encumbrance. I took everything as an experience and moved on with my passion ‘Karate’, said the prodigious champion.
“Confidence reflects from his eyes. He takes Karate very seriously and does not get distracted from it no matter what. Even while practicing, he would not do it as though he is engaged in a real bout. He personifies perfection. If he knows that he is not doing something correctly, he would try and try till he convinces himself of it. He does not get flattered so easily,” said his coach, Sensei Tarun Chakrabarty.
He also made a strong point by saying that if he had to select between study and karate, he would go with the former. But he also mentioned that it does not mean that he would alienate himself from karate. He would still continue to do so, but not at the professional level. “Nothing can separate me from karate. I would continue playing it till I am physically fit to do so,” said the passionate karate champion.
Larger than life character
Bhaskar SenBhaskar, who had been bringing glory to the country in the field of Karate, is a multi-talented boy. He has achieved more than his age demands from him. He is not only a pro karate player, but also an actor who has acted in a serial called “ Magic Tent” where his co-star was the all time great Naseeruddin Shah. He has appeared and given voice over to more than 24 advertisements, including the famous “Epang Opang Horlicks Ad” and the FIFA World Cup 2006, ESPN. He also has a diploma in Music from the Prayag Sangit Samiti and won few inter-school music competitions also. He is also a very bright student. Amidst his tight schedule he still managed to clear his 10th with flying colours and got 9.6 in CPGA and enrolled himself in the Science stream thinking to pursue engineering in the future. “All this cultural part comes to me naturally as my parents are very closely associated with art connoisseurs. You can say I have it in my genes. I always aspire to become an actor once I grow up, but again not at the cost of Karate,” said Bhaskar who is an ardent fan of Amitabh Bachan, Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt to name a few.
Sweetheart among the elders
Bhaskar is a true sweet heart among his folks. And why would he not be. The boy has excelled in everything that he has put his hands into. “My son is a totally different person when he is at home. Given to his achievements at such a young age, he keeps himself very grounded. He is never disobedient, knows how to respect elders, to sum it up he has everything that parents would ask from their kids,” said Nupur. “Every student in my camp has a fixed timing for the practice session. If someone is late they get punished. But he is abstained from it. He can come in whenever he wants,” added Sensei Tarun Chakrabarty.
Perfect balance
Bhaskar who is into so many things just knows how balance everything just perfectly. He prioritizes everything in accordance with the need of the hour. “His time management is very good. We do not have to tell him anything. He knows what has to be done when and how. And I guess that is the reason he is good in everything he does,” said his dad Vivekanda Sen.
Support
In India where non cricket sports are not that into the limelight, the onus remains on the sportspersons to accumulate funds. And Bhaskar is no alien to that discrimination. No matter what his achievements are, he still does not have any sponsors. He is being supported throughout by his family and his school Amity International. His school has recognized his talent at a very young age and had been supporting him in every way possible way to nurture the talents in him. “I get help from the All India Karate Federation (AIKF) in terms of exposure. They send me to all the major tournaments happening around the globe. I am very thankful to AIKF for the opportunities that they have been giving me. But coming back to the money part it is always my parents and my school, who have been supporting me,” added Bhaskar.
Goal
He wants to be a world champion and make India proud. He wants the game of Karate to become very famous in India, where people would know about it, like it and praise it. “I would definitely aim to become the world champion. And more than that I would strive hard to make this sport famous in India. It is also very much a sport and takes much more than just throwing your arms and legs at your opponents. I urge the media to put light on Karate as well,” said Bhaskar.
Major Achievements:
1) CKF 6th Commonwealth Karate Championships, Sydney, 2011- Bronze Medal
2) CKF 5th Commonwealth Karate Championships, South Africa, 2009- Bronze Medal
3) All India Kotaka Ha Cup: 2009: Gold Medal
4) 12th All India Kamagata Cup, Delh, 2009: Gold Medal
5) All India Kotaka Ha Cup, 2008: Gold Medal
6) President’s Award and Sports Scholarship by Amity, 2009
7) All Japan Seito Ryu Seiko Kai Independence Cup, 2007: Bronze Medal
8) Kobe Osaka Shito Ryu championships:,2004 : Bronze Medal
Bhaskar who could very well take to acting, music or engineering and have a very luxurious life, but would not do so because of his allure and love towards karate is indeed very commendable and would lead him to him many more wins, because going by his character, one can easily make out that he is not going to fizzle out soon.
By Samikshan Dutta Choudhury
Indian Sports News