North Kolkata streets to KIBG 2026 podium: Street hawker Raja Das defies odds to clinch Pencak Silat gold

When Raja Das is not practicing his Pencak Silat skills, the 33-year-old helps his father supply ice to local blood banks in Kolkata. His father has worked for decades as a street hawker and Raja has been assisting him since childhood while also pursuing his dream of making a name for himself in the sport.

The West Bengal player has been consistently winning medals at the national level over the years and on Tuesday clinched one of the first two gold medals on offer at the Khelo India Beach Games (KIBG) 2026 at the Ghoghla Beach by beating defending champion and local favourite Prasanna Bendre.

A commerce graduate, Raja was always fascinated with Martial Arts and found his calling in Pencak Silat, a full-body fighting form incorporating strikes, grappling and throwing, in addition to weaponry.

“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 in 2017.

Raja’s early ambition took him as far as Indonesia, where he was part of an advanced training camp ahead of the 2018 Asian Games. But the dream had to wait.
“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.

Things took a turn for the worst when he lost his younger brother in a tragic train accident in Howrah in 2018 and he had to take additional responsibility of supporting the family’s financial needs.

“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 now also done a physical therapy course to help earn some extra money when he is not training for his competitions.

Raja Das has also dominated the domestic circuit, winning national gold medals in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Besides that, he also has had close finishes in the international circuit, having finished fourth in the 2018 and 2019 Asian Championships, fifth in the 2018 World Beach Championships in Thailand and fifth in the 2024 World Championships in Abu Dhabi.

For Raja, the gold medal in Diu is a perfect preparation for the upcoming Senior National Championships which will serve as a qualifier for the 2027 National Games and the upcoming 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.