That quiet perseverance translated into a major triumph on Tuesday, when the West Bengal athlete clinched one of the first two gold medals on offer at the Khelo India Beach Games 2026 at Ghoghla Beach.
Photo: SNS
When Raja Das is not honing his Pencak Silat skills, the 33-year-old helps his father supply ice to local blood banks in Kolkata. His father has worked as a street hawker for decades, and Raja has supported him since childhood, balancing daily responsibilities with an unwavering pursuit of sporting excellence.
That quiet perseverance translated into a major triumph on Tuesday, when the West Bengal athlete clinched one of the first two gold medals on offer at the Khelo India Beach Games 2026 at Ghoghla Beach. Raja defeated defending champion and local favourite Prasanna Bendre to cap another strong chapter in a career marked by consistency and resilience.
Advertisement
A commerce graduate, Raja’s sporting journey has been driven by a deep fascination with martial arts. Over time, that interest found its true expression in Pencak Silat, a demanding discipline that blends strikes, grappling, throws and intricate weapon choreography.
Advertisement
“Since childhood, I have always been fascinated towards martial arts, but never truly liked karate and taekwondo. I was more inclined towards choreography, especially weapon choreography, and that’s how I landed in the sport. After a lot of research, found out Pencak Silat was part of the 2018 Asian Games,” said Raja, who began training seriously in the discipline in 2017.
His early ambitions took him overseas, as he earned a place in an advanced training camp in Indonesia ahead of the 2018 Asian Games. However, the leap to the international stage did not come immediately.
“At that time, I had just started out and didn’t have any international exposure. I couldn’t qualify, but that experience showed me the level I needed to reach,” he recalled.
Life dealt Raja a severe blow in 2018 when he lost his younger brother in a tragic train accident in Howrah. The loss brought emotional pain and additional financial responsibility, further testing his resolve.
“We do what we have to do to support the family. I assist my father in his work, but the income is meagre. My family is fully supportive of my choice, and that’s where all the strength comes from,” said Raja, who has since completed a physical therapy course to supplement his income whenever training commitments allow.
The gold medal at the Khelo India Beach Games 2026 is the latest milestone in Raja’s steadily rising career. He had earlier won silver at the 2025 edition of the Beach Games and again at the 22nd National Games in Goa, establishing himself as one of India’s most reliable Artistic Pencak Silat performers.
Raja has also dominated domestically, winning national gold medals in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Internationally, he has narrowly missed the podium on several occasions, finishing fourth at the 2018 and 2019 Asian Championships, fifth at the 2018 World Beach Championships in Thailand and fifth at the 2024 World Championships in Abu Dhabi.
For Raja, the triumph in Diu is more than just another medal. It serves as crucial preparation for the upcoming Senior National Championships, which will act as qualifiers for the 2027 National Games, and for the next international season.
“My aim is now to win some medals for India on the international circuit and I am confident that given the support I am getting from the federation and the government, that dream will also soon come true,” he added.
Advertisement
