Part-time hawker to support family, Pencak Silat player Raja Das wins KIBG gold

Diu, Jan 7 (PTI) When Raja Das is not busy honing his Pencak Silat skills, the 33-year-old helps his father supply ice to local blood banks in Kolkata.

His father has worked for decades as a hawker with Raja assisting him since childhood while pursuing his own dream of finding fame in a sport that is yet to gain a strong foothold in India.

The West Bengal player has been consistently winning medals at the national level over the years and on Tuesday, he clinched one of the first two gold medals on offer at the Khelo India Beach Games here beating defending champion and local favourite Prasanna Bendre.

A commerce graduate, Raja was always fascinated by martial arts and found his calling in Pencak Silat, a traditional Indonesian form of the combat sport. It combines artistic movements with combat techniques.

"Since childhood, I have always been fascinated by martial arts, but never truly liked Karate and Taekwondo. I was more inclined towards choreography, especially weapon choreography, and that's how I landed in the sport.

"After a lot of research, found out Pencak Silat was part of the 2018 Asian Games," Raja, who began training for the sport back in 2017, was quoted as saying in a Sports Authority of India (SAI) press release.

Raja's early ambition took him to Indonesia, where he was part of an advanced training camp ahead of the 2018 Asian Games.

But the dream had to wait as things took a turn for the worst when he lost his younger brother in a tragic train accident in Howrah in the same year.

The tragedy brought with it the additional responsibility of supporting his family's financial needs.

"We do what we have to do to support the family. I assist my father in his work, but the income is meagre. My family is fully supportive of my choice, and that's where all the strength comes from," said Raja, who has now also done a physiotherapy course to earn some extra money when he is not training for his competitions.

The gold medal in Khelo India Beach Games here is just another milestone in Raja's career.

He was a silver-medallist at the Khelo India Beach Games last year and again at the 22nd National Games in Goa.

For Raja, the gold medal in Diu is a perfect preparation for the upcoming Senior National Championships which will serve as a qualifier for the 2027 National Games and the upcoming international season.

"My aim is now to win some medals for India on the international circuit and I am confident that given the support I am getting from the federation and the government, that dream will soon come true," he added. PTI PM PM BS BS