Karate black belt to archery gold: How sports-tragic father steered Chikitha’s sports choice

The path to sporting excellence is rarely a straight line, and for 21‑year‑old Chikitha Raj, the journey has been shaped by a blend of family tragedy, unexpected mentorship and a remarkable switch in discipline. Born in the small town of Jind in Haryana, Chikitha grew up watching her father, a former state‑level karate champion, practice in a cramped backyard. He had been a promising athlete before a road‑traffic accident left him permanently disabled, a loss that changed the family’s outlook on sports forever.In the months after the accident, her father’s physical limitations forced him to retire from competitive karate..

Rather than see his passion fade, he began coaching his daughter, hoping to keep the sport alive in their household. “I wanted to give her something to hold on to,” he told reporters. “If I couldn’t fight, at least I could help her fight.” The home gym became a sanctuary where Chikitha learned discipline, respect and the mental toughness that would later serve her in a very different arena.The pivot came when Chikitha, then a high school student, was introduced to the national archery camp hosted in Chandigarh..

Her mother, a school teacher, had enrolled her in a weekend archery workshop, hoping the calm focus of the sport might offer her daughter a new outlet. The workshop’s coach, a former national archer, noted Chikitha’s natural steadiness and hand‑eye coordination, attributes that seemed to echo the precise techniques she had learned from her father in karate. By the end of the three‑day camp, Chikitha had signed up for the archery academy under a scholarship program aimed at scouting talent among rural athletes.“Switching from a striking martial art to a precision sport felt like a leap,” she recalled..

“But the core values—discipline, patience, focus—were the same. My father taught me to stay calm under pressure, and that mindset translated perfectly into archery.” Within a year, she was competing in the national junior championships, where she finished third in the compound division, a breakthrough that drew attention from the national coaching staff.The turning point came at the 2024 National Games, where Chikitha entered the women’s compound event. Facing seasoned opponents from Delhi and Karnataka, she steadied her breath, recalled her father’s lessons on mental fortitude, and fired a string of perfect arrows that vaulted her to a bronze medal..

The victory was more than a personal triumph; it was a symbolic victory for a family that had overcome loss and redefined success.Amid the celebrations, a familiar face emerged: Abhishek Verma, the world‑ranked compound archer who had won gold at the 2022 World Archery Championships. Verma had been coaching at the national training camp for a few months and was impressed by Chikitha’s raw talent and work ethic. He approached her after the Games, offering to mentor her in a structured training program that combined technical skill with psychological conditioning.“We were in the same room, and I could see how she was applying what I had taught her,” Verma said..

“I remembered when I was a young athlete, struggling to stay motivated. I thought, ‘Why not guide someone who could benefit from this?’” He took Chikitha under his wing, integrating her into his own training squad and providing her with access to state‑of‑the‑art equipment and world‑class coaching staff. Under Verma’s guidance, Chikitha’s scores improved dramatically, and she began to win international tournaments.The partnership with Verma also meant a deeper understanding of the mental demands of the sport..

He introduced Chikitha to techniques borrowed from sports psychology, such as visualization and breathing drills, that helped her maintain composure during high‑stakes competitions. “When I was injured, I could still imagine the rhythm of an arrow,” Chikitha said. “That mental rehearsal has become a daily practice for me now.”In August 2025, Chikitha represented India at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, competing in the women’s compound event..

Against a field of the continent’s best, she delivered a flawless performance, clinching the gold medal and becoming the youngest Indian woman to do so in the discipline. The victory was a testament to her perseverance and the collective effort of her support network: her father, who still coached her from their backyard; her mother, who managed the logistics and emotional support; and Verma, who had become her mentor and friend.The impact of her win extends beyond the archery community. In a country where sports diversification is a growing concern, Chikitha’s story has inspired many young athletes to consider alternative sports..

Several schools in Haryana have now introduced archery programs, citing her success as a catalyst. “She showed us that if you’re willing to work hard and adapt, you can succeed in any sport,” her father said, looking proud as he watched a young boy shoot an arrow during a local event.As Chikitha prepares for the upcoming Olympics in Paris, the narrative surrounding her journey remains rooted in resilience and transformation. Her transition from karate to archery, guided by a father’s unwavering support and refined by a world‑class archer’s mentorship, illustrates how adversity can seed new opportunities..

While her father can no longer compete on the mat, he continues to be her most enduring coach, reminding her that victory is as much about the mental battle as the physical one..