Arunachal's Khya Tai Bengde wins Commonwealth karate gold in Glasgow

Arunachal Pradesh karateka Khya Tai Bengde has won a gold medal in the senior men's team kata event at the 12th Commonwealth Karate Championship in Glasgow, Scotland.

The championship ran from November 5 to 8 and brought together karate athletes from Commonwealth countries, India Today NE and Northeast Now reported on Sunday. Kata is the form discipline of karate, in which athletes perform a set routine of techniques and are judged on precision, power, rhythm and timing. In team kata, three athletes perform the routine together in sync.

The gold is Bengde's second international title this year. In July he won gold in the same event, senior men's team kata, at the 11th South Asian Karate Championship in Dhaka, Bangladesh, held from July 15 to 18. He has also won several national-level gold medals.

Part of an eight-member Arunachal group

Bengde was one of eight players from the Arunachal Pradesh Amateur Karate-Do Association (APAKA) picked for the Indian squad for Glasgow, The Arunachal Times reported before the team left. The others were Abab Sangdo, Khyoda Talik, Ribu Riang, Nabam Yani, Lipin Ete, Nanu Taku and Pala Dodum.

According to that report, Bengde was entered in the under-21 men's individual kata as well as the senior men's team kata. Sangdo and Talik were also listed for the senior men's team kata, though the reports on Sunday did not name the other members of the winning team. The APAKA players were to join the national team in Delhi before flying to Scotland.

Sunday's reports did not include results for the rest of the Arunachal group. NEInsider will add them when the association or the national federation releases the full medal list.

A growing karate base

APAKA president Yarda Niki and general secretary John Bagang had said before the event that competing at this level would give the players valuable experience and encourage young karatekas in the state.

Arunachal Pradesh has produced a number of international medallists in martial arts in recent years, in sports such as wushu, judo and karate. Bengde, son of Kajop Bengde, now has gold medals from both the South Asian and Commonwealth championships in the same season.