CHENNAI: “To be trained in karate is something because karate is a vicious thing. If you are any good at it, you can kill somebody with it. It is a vicious way to fight.”
There is a slight aberration to this quote (by renowned US prosecutor Thomas Foran of Chicago conspiracy trial fame) in the Indian context. For, the viciousness has been prevalent not among the purveyors but those among the men who administer the sport, some of with obvious political clouts.
Much like the various Karate schools across the globes, there are four Karate federations in India, besides numerous factions and a dozen-odd Karate groups in many Karate-vibrant state. That has been affecting the results, too. The last time India returned with a rich haul was in the 1999 SAF Games, when every member buckled a medal.
All the same, that hasn’t deterred the All India Karate Do Federation to brace up for the 2010 Asian Games. The process is on to select a bunch of 48 (12 for each category) players for a yearlong training camp, and the selection trials was held at the JJ Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday. “Out of them the 12 best players would be selected for Asian Games,” said M Kanaharaj, technical director of the All India Karate Do Federation, the prevailing IOA-recognised official body in the country.
Despite the numerous factions, he promised that the body would perform its best to endorse the sport in the country. Drafting in veteran coach Antonio Olivia Seba, one of the pioneers of karate in Europe and the driving force behind Spain’s golden run in early 1980s, is the first major step in this regard. “The selected 48 players will undergo training under him in brief spells. After that they will return to their respective centres and continue preparing for the Asian Games. We will provide him with good support and will seek Seba’s assistance throughout this year,” said Kanaharaj.
On the sidelines, the 100-odd contestants enlivened the JJ Indoor Stadium — complete with grunts and groans — inspite of the muggy weather. They hardly relaxed, for one bout followed the other.
But they warily hid their fatigue. At least, they aren’t bothered about the politics that had marred the sport’s popularity in India.
