KADAPA: Patnam Vatsalya Shree from Proddatur has emerged as a teen karate prospect to be reckoned with, besides excelling in academics. The 17-year-old girl is a black belt holder in taekwondo and good at kumite and kata aspects of karate.
Vatsalya who aspires to become a doctor, lost her father Patnam Srinivasulu last year. Srinivasulu, an LIC agent who also practised numerology to run his family, was very supportive of his two daughters Sarha and Vatsalya. Sarha, elder sister of Vatsalya, is studying second year BDS course in Vijayawada.
From her childhood, Vatsalya is very much interested in extracurricular activities. When she was in class IV, Vatsalya showed keen interest in learning taekwondo and her father Srinivasulu took the girl to martial arts instructor N Dayakar. She has won 25 medals in several State and national level martial arts tournaments so far.
Taekwondo star wants to win Olympics medal
Vatsalya, an Intermediate BiPC student, wants to compete in Olympics and bring a medal to the country.
After the death of her father in last May due to cardiac illness, she was depressed. But, she became normal within a short span of time.
Now, she is determined to shine in taekwondo in the international arena to realise her father’s dream. However, she is facing financial constraints to realise her dream.
Vatsalya met Minister for Sports Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao seeking government aid and got an assurance. Vatsalya won a gold medal in the International Mathematics Olympiad in 2013. She also bagged a gold medal in Abacus level-2 exam in 2014. She secured a bronze medal in the National Astronomy Olympiad and was selected for NASA tour. However, she could not take part in the tour owing to ill-health.
In 2017, she bagged a bronze medal in the State-level karate championship. In the national karate championship held in Kerala in 2017, she won a silver medal. She got her name entered in the Guinness Book of Records by participating in kata tournament in Nellore. In 2017, she also won a gold medal in kumite. In the first Open Karate Championship, she secured a bronze medal in kata.
Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, she did not participate in karate events for two years. In September last, she bagged a gold medal in the State level karate championship. “My father is my inspiration and I want to fulfil his dream. I am determined to become a doctor and win an Olympic medal in taekwondo,” she said.