Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad   

Karate gets a cine `kick'

V.V. Subrahmanyam

Actor Suman plans to bring its eight forms under one umbrella by forming the State's Karate Association

HYDERABAD: Noted film star Suman is all set to don a new role in real life. For someone who is known for his martial arts skills, this 48-year-old actor has taken up the task of bringing various groups in karate in the State under one umbrella by forming the Karate Association of Andhra Pradesh.

"For the first time, India was offered a chance to compete in the World championship in Spain this June. And, unless we produce champion karatekas over the next few months, we cannot move ahead," he says in a chat with The Hindu .

How can it be achieved? "We have identified eight categories in karate - goju-ryu, shutu-ryu, uchi-ryu, shoren-ryu, kyokoshinkai, wodo-ryu, budokan, shotokan - as the main competitive disciplines. Effectively this means that any Karate Academy in the State has to impart training in any one of the above which are in concurrence with the international federation guidelines," says Suman.

However, R.Bharath Kumar, chief instructor of Goju-ryu Academy in the city, feels it would be improper to club both shotokan and budokan in this category. Only one of them should be there as both have the same katas.

Buoyed by the success of the biggest ever inaugural Asia Wuko Continental Cup championship in Vizag recently, where India topped the medals tally with 101 gold, 115 silver and 194 bronze medals, Suman says that of the 24 referees who qualified in the exam conducted by the international body in Vizag, 16 are from the State. "This speaks volumes about the interest and popularity of different forms of karate in the State," he says.

Commenting on the affiliation aspect, Suman says that he will interact with the Indian Olympic Association and make efforts to see that a similar initiative is launched at the national level to bring together different Karate Federations under one banner.

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