KERALA SCHOOL GAMES

From family of 10 karate experts, Yamato shines as Kerala’s School Games champion

Kochi: Yamato, the champion in the under-54 kg karate competition for senior boys at Kerala School Sports & Games 2024, not only carries a Japanese name but also has a deep connection with the East Asian country. Moreover, Yamato belongs to a family, where the parents and all ten children are experts in karate.

Yamato, a class 9 student at St Anne’s Higher Secondary School, Kurianad in Kottayam, is the son of Sudeep T Cyriac and Monu, who are both karate exponents. While Sudeep, the coach of the Kerala state karate team from 2002 to 2018, belongs to Uzhavoor in Kottayam, Monu hails from Assam.

The meaning of the word Yamato is prosperous and the first name of Japan, the home of karate. Sudeep received advanced training in karate from Japan, and it was his guru there, Satashi Ishikawa, who named Yamato.

Yamato’s younger siblings also have Japanese names: while sister Hanako studies in class 6, one brother who is in class 2 is named Riu, and the youngest brother is one-year-old Ren. All of them were named by Sudeep’s Japanese master. Incidentally, Yamato has also visited Japan twice to participate in karate championships.

Sudeep and Monu also have six adopted children, Monu’s relatives from Assam. The couple had initially met while both were pursuing a career in karate and decided to settle down together. The six adopted children were brought from Assam to Kerala and educated in the state during different periods, considering the adverse social situation in the northeast.

The adopted children are Digantha Kanwar, who is presently in Qatar; Viswajith Lakone in the US; Bhaskar Sonowal (Assam); Pankaj Gogoi and Santhanu Phukan in Goa and Deepankar Kanwar, a student at Baselius College, Kottayam.

Each of them is a karate expert and, except Viswajith, was a member of the Kerala state karate team. Sudeep’s house and karate training centre are located at Kallar in Munnar. Its name, too, has a Japanese touch: Shoto Jukuku Temple, with Shoto, the style of karate taught at the school.