By Our Reporter
Shillong, Oct 14: The North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Campus and SAI STC Shillong played host to an Open Selection Trial for the National Karate Squad from October 12 to 14, 2025, drawing enthusiastic participation from across the country.
The three-day event, organised to identify and select talented athletes for the upcoming National Karate Squad, witnessed an impressive turnout of competitors. A large number of entries were received through both online and on-the-spot registrations, reflecting the growing popularity and reach of karate across India.
The trials featured competitions in both Kata (individual male and female) and Kumite (individual male and female) categories, with athletes competing across two weight divisions.
In the Female Senior Kumite -50 kg category, Tejasvi Narendra Walanj clinched the top spot, followed by Chauhan Arpana (Assam Rifles) in second place and Yami Gyadi (Nagaland) in third. Hemamoni Teronpi (Assam) secured fourth position.In the Kumite -55 kg category, Alisha from Haryana bagged gold, Gauri Pathak (CRPF) took silver, while Larisha Kurbah (Meghalaya) claimed bronze. Durga Das (Madhya Pradesh) finished fourth.In the Kata Individual (Female Senior) category, Priyanka Rami (Gujarat) emerged victorious, ahead of Deepanjali Karmakar (West Bengal) and Vanshika Tanwar (Assam Rifles). Mesom Singhi (Andhra Pradesh) stood fourth.Among the men, Arka Banerjee (Andhra Pradesh) secured the gold medal in Kata Individual (Male Senior), followed by Jagruth (Madhya Pradesh), Hemphu Bongjang (Assam), and Anil Sharma (CRPF) in the subsequent positions.
In the Kumite -67 kg category, Sharma Pranay (Delhi) triumphed, with Gajesh Kumar (Haryana) and Deepak Routhan (Madhya Pradesh) taking silver and bronze respectively, while Vipul Sharma (Jammu & Kashmir) finished fourth.
In the Kumite -75 kg category, Nishad Ali (Assam) claimed gold, followed by Rajkumar (Assam Rifles) in second, Manish (Services Karate Team) in third, and Selva V Kumar (Tamil Nadu) in fourth place.
