Kanishka Sharma was around two when her parents noticed she couldn’t hear or speak like other children. At first, they thought it could be delayed speech, a common occurrence in young kids, but they soon realised something was amiss.
After medical tests, Kapil Sharma and his wife Priyanka were told their only child had hearing loss and would need a hearing aid.
Financial constraints meant they could only afford basic hearing equipment, which helped to an extent.
“We realised when she was around 2.5 years old that she was not responding to us. Initially, people said she would speak late, but doctors later confirmed hearing loss. We got her a hearing aid, but it wasn’t the best quality,” Kanishka’s father Kapil Sharma told Read on Wednesday.
Kanishka’s parents tried working her way to a regular school but after a few years they eventually gave in as communication remained a constant challenge.
“We enrolled Kanishka in a regular school for three years before moving to a sign language school in Bhopal. We also tried enrolling her in sports like skating, but it didn’t work out,” he explained.
At the sign language school, Kanishka explored her own way to connect with the world around her. And seeing their daughter find comfort and finally make friends, the family was relieved until sports changed everything.
On discovering Taekwondo
At 13, Kanishka noticed children in her colony heading to a martial arts camp. She would watch them from a distance, unsure how to communicate or join in. One day, she quietly brought home a form, filled it herself, and enrolled. That decision shaped her life.
“There was a martial arts camp in our colony. She would watch other children from a distance. One day, she brought home a form, filled it, and enrolled herself. She was around 13 then,” Kapil mentioned.
“Later, we came to know about deaf sports associations and that gave us direction.”
Kanishka began winning medals at the national level, including a silver at the School Nationals. Training with regular athletes strengthened her confidence, while competing in deaf events gave her a sense of belonging.
Kanishka currently trains at the Madhya Pradesh Martial Arts Academy in Bhopal’s TT Nagar Stadium under chief coach Jagjit Singh and Arjun Rawat.
Her breakthrough came when she represented India at the Asia Pacific Deaf Games in Malaysia, becoming the first Indian girl to do so in taekwondo. She went on to compete at the Deaflympics, finishing fifth in Japan last year.
“There was a time when people didn’t interact much with her,” Kapil recalled. “Now, after she has represented India, people recognise her and even ask for pictures.”
Kanishka is now gearing up to compete at the 2nd Asia Pacific Deaf Championship to be held in Kazakhstan from June 1-7.
Behind her journey is quiet sacrifice. Kapil, a photographer, shut down his office in 2021 to focus on his daughter’s career.
Today, both parents dedicate their time to supporting her dreams and Kapil managing expenses through freelance work.
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