| Personal information | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth name | R. Karthika | ||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Kannagi Nagar Karthika Karthika Express | ||||||||||
| Nationality | Indian | ||||||||||
| Born | 2008 Chennai, Tamil Nadu | ||||||||||
| Years active | 2018-present | ||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||
| Country | India | ||||||||||
| Sport | Kabaddi | ||||||||||
| Team | India | ||||||||||
| Coached by | K. Raji | ||||||||||
Medal record
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R. Karthika (born c. 2008) is an Indian kabaddi player from Kannagi Nagar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She is best known for captaining and later serving as vice-captain of India's under-18 girls’ kabaddi team, which won the gold medal at the 2025 Asian Youth Games in Bahrain, where the team defeated Iran 75–21 in the final.[1] Coming from a working-class community, she is widely regarded as a symbol of sports-driven upliftment for girls from under-privileged urban areas.[2][3] She also commonly called as Karthika Express and Kannagi Nagar Karthika.[2][4]
Early life and background[edit | edit source]
Karthika hails from Kannagi Nagar, a large tenement area in southern Chennai, Tamil Nadu, home to more than 20,000 families.[1] She studied at a government school in her neighbourhood.[2] Her father works in construction and her mother, previously a civic worker, now drives an auto-rickshaw to support the family. [2]In 2018, a local coach, K. Raji, formed a girls’ kabaddi team in Kannagi Nagar to challenge the negative image attached to the area and empower young women through sport.[2] Karthika joined the girls’ team coached by Raji, practising in informal conditions such as a corner of a public park while balancing her schoolwork. She quickly distinguished herself and got selected for senior national-camp exposure at age 16.[2][4]
Career[edit | edit source]
International achievements[edit | edit source]
In October 2025, Karthika co-led the Indian Under-18 girls’ kabaddi team to an unbeaten run at the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain, culminating in a dominant 75–21 win over Iran in the final.[3] Following the achievement, she received both state-level recognition and a celebratory homecoming in Kannagi Nagar, where she rode a horse-drawn chariot and was welcomed by her community.[1][5] M. K. Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, presented each of R. Karthika and Abinesh Mohandhas with a cheque of ₹ 25 lakh in recognition of their gold-medal performance at the 2025 Asian Youth Games.[6][4]
Challenges and future prospects[edit | edit source]
Despite her success, Karthika continues to train in less-than-ideal infrastructure: the girls’ team still practices outdoors, and they have long sought an indoor kabaddi facility in Kannagi Nagar.[1] The state government has since assured support, including training infrastructure and according to reports a house and job after she turns 18. Going forward, her inclusion in senior national camps suggests her potential to progress into the senior Indian women's team.[3][4]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Dhasarathy, Srikkanth (2025-10-25). "From Kannagi Nagar to Bahrain: Kabaddi star Karthika walks the talk with Asian Youth Games gold". dtnext. Dina Thanthi. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Ponnusamy, Mahalingam (2025-10-26). "Pride of Kannagi Nagar: Chennai teen Karthika raids her way to Under-18 Asian Gold". thefederal.com. Puthiya Thalaimurai TV. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Madhav, Pramod (2025-10-27). "Beating stigma: Kannagi Nagar's Karthika shines with Kabaddi gold in U18 Asian Games". India Today. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Stalin presents ₹25 lakh cheque each to kabaddi players Karthika and Abinesh". The Hindu. 2025-10-26. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
- ↑ "Kabaddi gold medalists from Tamil Nadu receive warm welcome after Asian Youth Games triumph". www.dtnext.in. Dina Thanthi. 2025-10-26. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
- ↑ Service, Express News (2025-10-27). "CM Stalin presents Rs 25 lakh each to two kabaddi players". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2025-10-28.