Kannagi Nagar Karthika

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]

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]

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]