By the time Akshay Mahara Booshanam was ten, his idea of fun didn’t quite match what most other kids his age were doing. While others played cricket in the lanes of Delhi, Akshay preferred throwing punches into the air, practicing kicks with invisible opponents, and mimicking Bruce Lee moves with serious intent.
Back then, no one around him saw karate as anything more than a hobby. Certainly not a career. But even as a child, Akshay knew he felt something deeper. There was a certain fire that only lit up when he was in motion, fists clenched, breath sharp, mind still.
That fire never went out
Now 24, Akshay is a name etched into Indian karate history, not because he comes from privilege or a polished sports ecosystem, but because he refused to stop fighting, quite literally and figuratively. He’s India’s top-ranked karate athlete in the -84kg category and has held that spot since 2018. He’s a Commonwealth gold medalist, a Senior National Champion, and a regular feature in international championships across Asia and beyond. In a sport often pushed to the margins in India, Akshay has carved his place through sheer resilience.
The Making of a Karateka
Akshay’s childhood was shaped by the quiet rhythm of Delhi-city life school at St. Columba’s, evenings filled with energy, and a growing sense of discipline that came from the dojo. He joined Bharat Sharma’s Karate Academy, and suddenly, things began to click. Karate wasn’t just a sport anymore. It was a mirror. A test. A place where he could channel his hunger, his need to excel, his desire to matter. “It made me feel alive,” he once said in an interview, a simple sentence that somehow captures everything he stands for.
By the time he was in college, earning a Bachelor’s in Computer Applications and later a Master’s in Global Business Operations from SRCC, Akshay had already amassed medals across state, national, and international stages. Competitions weren’t occasional anymore. They were constant. His schedule danced between training sessions and tournaments, books and flights, lectures and weigh-ins. It wasn’t easy. But then again, nothing worth doing ever is.
The Summer of Silver and Gold
If 2025 has proven anything, it’s that Akshay is in the form of his life. This June, he travelled to Bangkok to compete at the Thailand Open Karate Championship, held from June 26th to 29th. With athletes from 16 countries, the competition was fierce, but so was Akshay. He walked away with two silver medals: one in the individual -84kg category, and one in the team event. Barely catching his breath, he moved on to the 9th South Asian Karate Championship, where he turned silver into gold twice. Akshay clinched the individual -84kg title as well as the team kumite gold, marking his third South Asian title and a third individual gold at the championship. It wasn’t just a medal haul. It was a statement: he’s not slowing down.
More Than Just Numbers
Today, Akshay’s career medal count stands at over 90. That includes eight national golds, three South Asian titles, two Commonwealth golds, and now, these fresh silver and gold medals from Thailand and South Asia. This year alone, he added a Senior National gold to the collection affirming what many in the karate circuit already knew: he’s the best India has right now. But numbers never tell the full story. Behind every podium finish is a grind, training sessions that start before sunrise, the sting of narrow losses, the effort it takes to stay fit, focused, and fighting. And the mental strength required to keep going in a sport where the spotlight rarely lands.
Walking the Lonely Road
Unlike cricket or badminton, karate doesn’t enjoy prime-time billing in India. The infrastructure is patchy, sponsorships rare, and media coverage sparse. Athletes like Akshay operate in the shadows, training, traveling, competing, often without the financial or emotional safety net many of their peers in other sports enjoy. And yet, there he is showing up, still chasing gold, still believing that karate in India is on the cusp of something big. Because for Akshay, this journey isn’t just about his own medals. It’s about creating space. About leaving behind something larger than himself.
The Sportz Planet Desk
