Two Promising Athletes Win Big At The National Karate Championship 2023

18-year-old Danesh Asyrraf and 15-year-old Nageswaran Rames from Hayashi-Ha Malaysia Karacardio Academy have made a name for themselves at the 31st MAKAF National Cadet, Junior, and U-21 Karate Championship 2023. Danesh, who was competing in the U-21 -55 kg category, had been awarded a silver medal, while Nageswaran, who was competing in the Cadet -70 kg category, was awarded a gold medal. These two great prodigies are the students of former national athlete and founder of Hayashi-Ha Malaysia Karacardio Academy, Nisha Alagasan. Both Danesh and Nageswaran have endured arduous and strenuous training, which they devoted themselves to wholeheartedly, to be proud of having earned their success today. They stand as a glorious emblem to how much talent and dedication young athletes hold in Malaysia, giving the nation hope that more Malaysian sportsmen will bring recognition and pride for the country in the international arena.

Their coach, Master Nisha, who herself is an extraordinary accomplished sportswoman and instructor, expressed in pride and joy how much she admires her students for not just achieving such immense accolades at such a competitive arena but also for their relentless dedication and devotion towards the sport and perfecting their craft. The two young athletes train six days and 16 hours a week, following intensive and professional-level training from Master Nisha. Although the training is exhaustive, painful, and unforgiving, the teenage boys did not deter from enduring the struggles of it all to attain greatness.

Danesh, who is currently a student pursuing his studies in IT at the King’s University Collège, is described by his master, Nisha, as a student who is incredibly adamant and steadfast. He has always remained uncompromising and resolute in attaining greatness in this field, never once expressing the slightest bit of apathy or complacency in his training. In this young athlete’s career so far, he has won several notable accolades, such as the gold medal at the 2023 Malaysian Day Karate Open Championship and silver medals at the 2023 22nd MILO Championship and 7th MAYORS Championship 2023.

Danesh had come in second at this national championship not because of the points that he acquired but because of the judgement that he received. The ambitious young athlete had trained rigorously for this championship, which was one of the most significant competitions he had ever participated in. Danesh had maintained a strict diet in order to lose 8 kg to be qualified for entering the 55 kg category. He would send his master pictures of the food he consumed every day to make sure they met his dietary restrictions. On the day of his competition, Danesh had acid reflux, causing him to vomit several times. The boy had to be rushed to the clinic by Master Nisha under the advice of Dato’ Arivalagan, a former Karate master himself. At the clinic, Danesh received treatment, and he was brought back to the arena to continue his competition. Even with the pain that his body was experiencing, Danesh was only focused on his unflinching duty and desire to prove himself in the competition. Alas, all his hard work and painful struggles had paid off when he received the silver medal as a mark of his journey’s success so far.

As for the gold medalist Ampang native, Nageswaran, his journey in learning and being nurtured by the art of karate is a heartwarming and aspirational one as well. The youngest child of nine, born to a loving and supportive father who works as a security guard, Nageswaran is an earnest soul who only yearns to make both his father and his master proud. Nageswaran was only six years old when his father excitedly enrolled him and his older brother, Rishikesa, in Master Nisha’s academy. It must also be stated here that out of the approximately 80 students that train at this academy, Nageswaran is the only one who is exempt from paying any fee. The generosity and potential Master Nisha had seen in the young boy had inspired her to take such a noble decision. While she initially suggested to the boy’s father that both brothers be exempt from paying any fees, the honourable father stated that he should be allowed to pay the fee for at least one of his sons and thus concluded that he pay for Rishikesa’s training. This agreement has pleased both parties, who have grown to see what an upstanding and exemplary young athlete Nageswaran is today.

Some of the talented boy’s most significant achievements have been winning the gold medal at the Malaysia Day Karate Championship 2023 and the bronze medal at the 22nd Milo International Open Karate Championship 2023. Even with the news of his father being admitted to the hospital just a day earlier, Nageswaran’s unwavering heart had remained devoted to winning this MAKAF national tournament. The firm and unshakable tenacity of his soul and mind had rooted him in the tournament, which, in the end, he emerged victorious in. After winning his gold medal, this sweet young boy went to the hospital to share this victory with his father.

When speaking about Nageswaran, Master Nisha shared that he is an incredibly loyal, kind, and resourceful boy, who is full of spirit. At such a young age, he has acquired so much responsibility and morality that is expressed in every action of his. He cleans after the academy before and after it has been used, and without any reservations, he takes it upon himself to teach other students. Because of this quality and the skill he possesses, the promising young athlete has been made an assistant instructor. Master Nisha even fondly shares how the young boy acquired the skill of wielding two nunchucks at once just from viewing YouTube videos, and with his newly attained gifts, Nageswaran has generously taught Ethan Yaajshan and Arryan, who are other students at the academy, how to use the weapon.

The prodigal athletes could not have made it this far into the sports field without the unwavering and uncompromising guidance and discipline of their coach, Master Nisha. This former national athlete had brought pride and glory to Malaysia many times in the international arena. Master Nisha’s accomplishments consist of being the gold medalist at the 2018 International Karate Championship Indonesia, the 2014 Asian University Games, and the 2013 SEA Games (for both individual and team categories), along with that she has also held the No. 5 world rank in 2012. She founded her Karacardio Academy with the noble and ambitious intention of instilling all that she had learned and gained through karate in the younger generation. Her undivided and intense passion for the development of her students can be seen through the molding of both Danesh and Nageswaran. What began as an academy with one Malay girl as her student has grown into a thriving space where children can be mentored and disciplined to acquire self-esteem, proper restraint, and control of the mind and body, along with a clarity of consciousness that will protect them from being consumed by mental illness. Master Nisha states that continuous resilience against hardship and the struggles of training can create not just an excellent athlete but also a more rooted, sincere, and conscious individual. As for her plans for Danesh and Nageswaran, she is currently aiming for them to enter SUKMA and see these young boys full of magnanimous potential represent Malaysia on the international stage in the coming future.