Cuttack: A tomboy since childhood, rough sports had always interested Sudipta Nanda. Supporting her choice, Sudipta’s parents enrolled her for Martial Arts training in Barabati Stadium, Cuttack. Today, as a black belt holder and a professional coach, she is striving hard to popularize the sports.
A resident of Jagatpur in Cuttack, Sudipta would travel almost 12 kms to train in karate and gymnastics at Barabati Stadium. However, owing to the long distance, she often missed her training. After finishing her tenth board examinations, she re-started her training with greater seriousness.
“My proper training in Taekwondo began when I was 14 years old. My first coach was Arindam Roy, the Ollywood superstar. I would train under him and his father Gopal Chandra Roy. After getting black belt at 16 years, I started a training institute in Jagatpur. I had six students initially and trained them till 2008, until I got married,” says Sudipta.
Post-marriage, Sudipta gave a back-seat to her passion and decided to concentrate on her marital life. Ironically. But her in-laws persuaded her not to give up her passion and encouraged her to start afresh.
“I wanted to enjoy the marital bliss. But my in-laws, a joint family of over 20 members, thought it would be a waste of talent. They convinced me and asked me to resume coaching again. I started an institute two years back in CDA and am running it now,” she says.
“Usually, after marriage, women are asked to shun their jobs, but my case was just the opposite,” she says with a smile.
The SN Taekwondo Institute currently has 50 boys and girls who train thrice a week. She also plans to revive the institute in Jagatpur once again.
Talking about the scope and future of Martial Arts in the State, Sudipta said though the decision of the State Government to give compulsory training to college girl students in self-defense is welcome, the implementation of the drive needs to improve.
“I appreciate the move, but the girl students are not being trained properly. I feel the training module should have one self defense class per week for two years. Then only the girls will be able to learn something,” Sudipta says.
Besides Taekwondo, Sudipta, a mother of a five-year old, is a professional photographer and a vastu practioner. “Though I am a black belt holder, my son has taken after my husband’s habit and dislikes taekwondo,” she signs off.
–By Tazeen Qureshy
Ms Kalinga