- Manisha Kabbur of Byadagi, Haveri district, has turned into a woman international karate coach of Karnataka
- She is 3rd-degree black belt certified by a Japanese authority
- Her success is a milestone for women in martial arts and leadership in sport in Karnataka
Byadagi native Manisha Kabbur has become the state's first woman to achieve the designation of international karate coach. With a 3rd-degree black belt certified by Japan, Manisha passed international coaching exams to achieve the feat. She is academically qualified with a BE in Civil Engineering and an MTech in Construction Management.
She started martial art training in 1999 when she was 4 years old under trainer Narayan Pujar. She earned her first black belt by the age of 8. Manisha has earned medals in many national and international competitions throughout her career in karate, which is over the years. Her achievements consist of nine state-level and eight national-level championship titles, a gold medal from the All India Independence Cup in New Delhi, and a silver medal at an international competition in Japan.
She received her second-degree black belt from the Karate Association of India and subsequently obtained her third-degree certification after intense training in Japan. Along with her karate success, Manisha also possesses a postgraduate diploma in Yogic Science and Ayurvedic Food Nutrition and is now working as a yoga trainer in Byadagi.
In spite of scarce sporting and educational infrastructure in her home town, particularly for females, Manisha continued with encouragement from her family and coach. Her hard work has not only made her a top performer individually but also pay back to society—today, she teaches karate free to schoolgirls in Byadagi.
"Manisha has been a superbly enthusiastic and dedicated person. She recently cleared the very competitive World Karate Federation international coaching exam. She's an inspiration," said her mentor Narayan.
“I always aspired to achieve something on the international stage. With the support of my parents and teachers, I’ve fulfilled that dream,” said Manisha. “I want every girl in Haveri to learn basic self-defence skills through karate, and I’m actively working to make that happen.”
