VISAKHAPATNAM: When Murali and Manasa saw their 6-year-old K Sravan Kumar practising Silambam 10 years back, little did they know that their son would make them proud by bringing home a bagful of medals.
Sravan Kumar, who hails from Visakhapatnam, won a gold medal at the World Level Silambam Open Championship 2023 in Singapore, which was organised by the World Silambam Martial Arts Association last month.
The sixteen-year-old said watching his grandfather practise Silambam borrowed his attention & motivated him to take up the Indian variant of martial arts.
“My grandfather is my biggest inspiration. While I have been practising it for the last 10 years, I have worked with coach Srinivas for only two years. He is the one who suggested me to participate in several regional and national events,” recalled Sravan. Securing a gold medal in the Asian Level Silambam Championship allowed Sravan to prove his skills at the international level.
According to his parents, rigorous four-hour training on a daily basis is the secret sauce behind Sravan bagging world recognition.
“He trains two hours each in the morning as well as in the evening. Children should actively participate in any sport to stay fit and healthy, both physically and mentally. It also helps them improve their concentration and academic performance. My family and I always believed the same and encouraged Sravan as well,” said Murali and Manasa.
“We barely knew that drawing inspiration from his grandfather would help Sravan win laurels internationally. We will continue to encourage Sravan at every stage of his life while balancing his academics equally,” the couple expressed.
“I want to start a freestyle Silambam academy in future. Generally, we get to fight in Silambam. I want to create a fusion of Indian, and Chinese,” he stated.