When girls of her age played with dolls, Jyoti Kumari chose a career in Wushu, which not many dream of at the age of four and half years! Today, she is 16 years old and the pride of our nation.
On August 8, Jyoti won the first individual medal for India in any international championship — a Bronze in the in Taolu event of Wushu at the 7th Asian Junior Championship in Manila, Philippines. It was only the second day of the event. Born on January 9, 1997, this intermediate student from DAV-Khalari bagged 14th rank at the Third Junior World Wushu Championship in Singapore in 2011, followed by the Fourth Junior World Wushu Championship in Macau (China) in 2012.
She also participated in the Sixth Asian Junior Wushu Championship in Shanghai in 2011 and has won several golds and silvers in national championships since 2007. Narrating this teenager’s Wushu bond, her coach Razi Ahmad said, “She was just three years old when I began teaching her karate. By the time she was four and a half, our Wushu association was established. She learnt the skills of Changkong art of Wushu’s Taolu event. She was in nursery then but had a keen interest in this Chinese martial art. Jyoti represented the district level when she was in class IV.”
“Besides being a top-class Wushu player, she has also been a brilliant student,” Ahmad added. He has been training her elder brother Deepak Bahadur, younger brother Sameer Titung too. Civil contractor Dilraj Bahadur, Jyoti’s proud father, said, “It feels great that all my children are doing well in this martial art form. My daughter’s constant international performance is outstanding. The State Government must also encourage achievers of Wushu, like Haryana and Punjab do.” Her mother too expressed happiness.
According to her coach, Jyoti has chance for one more medal — during the Dual Taolu event. “Her team spirit will be tested in the dual round and we are sure she will not dishearten us,” said Ahmad. The championship ends on August 11. Jharkhand State Wushu Association general secretary Shivendra Dubey said a grand welcome would be organised in Jharkhand on August 14 for Jyoti. “The Indian team is expected to win five medals in this championship,” he added.