Flood took her home, not her dream: Assam teen wins national gold
Seventeen-year-old Janmoni from Bhogdoiporia Gaon in Assam’s Jorhat district climbed to a spot where her phone could catch signal to share her next big news — tomorrow she leaves for SAI.
Just days earlier, she stood on a very different stage. From August 7-9, at Delhi’s Talkatora Indoor Stadium, Janmoni won gold in the Ashihara category at the National Karate Championship.
She had travelled to the capital from a village under water. Her homecoming was celebrated under a tarpaulin.
On July 19, floodwaters breached an embankment just 150 metres from her house in Bhogdoiporia Gaon. Her family’s home was washed away, their fishery — which they had tended for three years to fund her Delhi trip — was damaged, poultry and ducks were swept away, and buffaloes had to be moved to higher ground. The family was forced to live on the embankment itself.
It was not the first time they had sacrificed to keep Janmoni’s dream alive. They had earlier sold two buffaloes to pay for competitions. For families in remote areas, the cost is not just training but travel, stay, fees, and nutrition.”In these remote places, some families can barely afford three meals a day. So proper nutrition and a specialised diet become difficult,” said her coach Susanta Das.
Janmoni, who started karate at five, is known for training anywhere — sometimes even on the streets. “If I told her to practise for two or three hours, she would do it without stopping,” Das said. “She is a diligent child. I always think of how a lotus blooms in the marsh.”With rail services disrupted and no money for the Delhi trip, her campaign seemed over until help came. During a visit to flood-hit areas, Physics Wallah founder Alakh Pandey learned of her situation and supported the team’s travel, accommodation, and gave Rs 3 lakh to her family. Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita also provided Rs 10,000.
She reached Delhi and won gold — after a bronze in 2023 and gold in 2025. Now back in Assam, her family is still rebuilding, but Janmoni is looking ahead.”Tu khel India ke liye — You play for India,” her father, a former footballer himself, tells her.
She is also inspiring others. Back home, she teaches younger children, mostly girls. “They follow me so much. They also love martial arts and are always keen to copy me,” she said, smiling on the video call.
From a flood-hit embankment to a national podium and now to SAI — the next chapter of her journey is just beginning.
