By Rajat Shankar Lall
Sri Vijaya Puram, May 29: While most children enjoy their summer holidays, 10-year-old Jaishish, a national Muay Thai champion from the Andaman Islands, begins his day at 5:30 a.m. with intense training sessions. Despite clinching national and international medals, his achievements remain largely unacknowledged by local authorities and sports institutions.
Jaishish, a Class V student at St. Mary’s School, has earned a gold medal at the National Muay Thai Championship in Chennai (June 2025), bronze at the World Muay Thai Championship representing India, and silver at a mixed martial arts tournament in the Andamans, the first local athlete to do so. He also holds gold from Assam, bronze from Vaikury, and several other state and district-level boxing accolades.
Yet, according to his father and coach, B Venkat Lav Kumar, there has been little to no formal recognition. “Apart from a few words of encouragement from well-wishers, there’s been no outreach or support,” he says, expressing concern over the lack of institutional backing for young athletes in the Islands.
A significant obstacle, Kumar explains, lies in Muay Thai’s non-recognition by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), which limits access to vital funding, accredited training programmes, and government-sponsored travel for competitions, essential for youth from remote regions.
Despite these hurdles, Jaishish continues to train rigorously for his next major challenge, a national-level tournament in Rohtak, Haryana. With no institutional funding, the family must manage travel and accommodation logistics independently, but remains undeterred.
Training under the direct supervision of his father, a two-time national boxing medalist, Jaishish follows a demanding schedule that includes boxing drills, swimming laps, academic lessons, stair climbs with a weighted backpack, tire-kicking exercises, and over 500 conditioning repetitions. Sundays are no exception, often spent in 10-kilometre runs or extended combat training.
“Five years ago, I just wanted to pull my son away from excessive screen use. I never imagined it would shape his life so profoundly,” Kumar says, reflecting on the start of Jaishish’s martial arts journey.
The transformation has been remarkable. Known among peers and coaches as the “Muay Thai champ,” Jaishish is steadily emerging as one of the most promising martial artists from the archipelago. His discipline and commitment, according to his father, go beyond medals.
“Medals were never the goal,” Kumar asserts. “This was about discipline, about focus, and about giving him a chance to realise his strength.”
His approach includes not only physical but also mental training. Emphasising humility, resilience, and grace under pressure, Kumar believes that building strong habits is more important than chasing headlines.
“We’re not chasing headlines,” he concludes. “We’re building habits, and habits will carry him further than medals ever can.”
