Seven months pregnant and on the podium

V. Anitha won gold in the Individual Kata competition at the All India Karate Championship held at Vatakara in Kerala, on August 29 and 30, 2026 V. Anitha from Chennai bags gold in KATA at an All India Karate Championship.” As the reader would note, that is a regular line one that jumps at them every other morning from newsprint.Read the now bolstered with other details that went with that achievement.“V. Anitha, 30 years old, a resident of Ramapuram in Chennai, bags gold in the Individual Kata competition at the All India Karate Championship held at Vatakara in Kerala, on August 29 and 30, 2026. And she was seven months pregnant.” The two-day championship, conducted by Alan Thilak Karate School, drew the participation of more than 1,500 students across categories for men and women The two-day championship, conducted by Alan Thilak Karate School, drew the participation of more than 1,500 students across categories for men and women. The Kerala team won the overall championship title and the Tamil Nadu team secured second place.Anitha could head to that championship clearly because her family, particularly her husband Prithviraj, backed her in that decision; but the larger motive power that got her there, and eventually onto the podium, is the sense of practising karate, in the competitive arena and outside.Anitha began learning karate when she was studying in Class III, actively participating in competitions and winning several prizes even in her school days. When she was in Class X, she faced opposition from her family regarding her decision to persist with karate. However, she remained determined, won her family over to her point of view and continued her training.She later joined SIET College and completed her B.Com degree. She subsequently worked with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and other corporate organisations. Although she had established a career in the corporate sector, karate remained her lifelong passion. She eventually made a conscious decision to leave her corporate career, not because of work commitments, but because she wanted to make karate her “profession and purpose in life” and use what she had learned to contribute to society.A major influence throughout her journey has been her guru, Hanshi A. Appuraj, an 8th Dan Black Belt with more than 40 years of experience in karate. A national champion in 1996, Hanshi A. Appuraj has trained more than 10,000 students and continues to guide karate practitioners as an instructor of Alan Thilak Karate School. Anitha has trained under his guidance for more than 22 years, making his mentorship an integral part of her journey.Anitha’s training under Alan Thilak Karate School, founded by Dai Sensei Moses Thilak, has also been an important part of her martial arts career. The legacy of the institution is now being carried forward under the technical leadership of Sensei Neil Moses and other senior technical directors.Over more than two decades, Anitha has built an impressive competitive record. She has been a Thiruvallur District Women’s Category Champion for more than 10 years, along with several achievements at the State and National levels. She has participated and won medals in numerous district, state and national-level championships. In February 2026, she also secured a medal at the State Championship.Her achievements have extended beyond the competition arena. She received the Young Achiever Award from the Department of Commerce at SIET College, recognising her accomplishments and contribution.After choosing karate as her profession, Anitha began using her experience to empower others. She currently works as a 5th Dan Black Belt, Karate master, self-defence coach and personal safety strategist. She conducts martial arts, self-defence and personal safety programmes for women employees in corporate organisations, college students and school girls.In 2024, Anitha married Prithiviraj, who has continued to support her karate journey and goals, chief aiming them is empowering women with self-defence training.This story was written by B. Prabhu Published - September 06, 2026 08:07 pm IST