Gaya: A simple yet spirited initiative by Bihar middle-school teacher Ravi Roshan brought his students face-to-face with India’s martial heritage—and earned the state five medals in Gatka at the ongoing Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2025.
Roshan took his students to the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Gaya campus to witness the traditional Sikh martial art of Gatka in action. The move proved both educational and inspiring, as Bihar athletes bagged one silver and four bronze medals across individual and team events.
Anshu clinched silver in the girls’ Single Soti (wooden stick) event, finishing behind Punjab’s Tamanna. Akash Kumar Sharma (boys’ Farri Soti), Komal Jain (girls’ Farri Soti), and both Bihar’s boys’ and girls’ Farri Soti teams also made it to the podium, marking a milestone for Bihar’s growing engagement with indigenous sports.
“This is the first time Bihar is hosting the Khelo India Youth Games. I wanted my students to experience the atmosphere and understand our traditional sports,” said Roshan. “They’ve spent a couple of days here, and I can already see a growing interest in Gatka and Mallakhamb.”
The spark of inspiration was clearly visible. “After watching Gatka, I feel like taking up a wooden stick and participating in the sport myself,” said Jainab Parveen, a Class 8 student, echoing the impact the event had on young minds.
The electric energy at the venue only grew stronger as local schoolchildren flooded the stands, their cheers lifting the spirits of athletes. Maharashtra coach Arti Chaudhary, whose team won its first-ever KIYG Gatka medal, highlighted how athletes from her state adapted to Gatka through Mardani, a local martial tradition.
Gatka, rooted in Sikh history, is among the traditional sports championed by the Central Government under its indigenous sports revival programme. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has often underscored the importance of embracing martial arts like Gatka, Mallakhamb, Kalaripayattu, and Thang Ta to preserve cultural identity and promote fitness.
