Sagar (Madhya Pradesh): A moment of pride for Madhya Pradesh, as Sagar's Kudo athlete, Sohail Khan earned a place in the Indian squad for the Fourth Kudo Asian Championship 2025.
The selection trials for the tournament were held on August 2 and 3 at Athletica Fitness Centre in Surat, Gujarat. Sohail, displayed sheer dominance in the Adult Male -250 PI category.
He knocked out Biri Tasso of Arunachal Pradesh in his opening match and secured a submission win over Abhimanyu Godara of Rajasthan in the final and grabbed a spot in the national squad.
“It feels amazing to be selected to represent India again. Every fight is a chance to prove how hard I’ve worked." Sohail said. While expressing gratitude towards his family and coaches, he further added, "I’m grateful to my coaches, family, and supporters. My full focus is now on preparing for the Asian Championship and securing a medal for the country.”
Hailing from Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, the 22-time national gold medallist has trained under his coach Dr Mohammad Aijaz Khan since his initial days. However, the trials were conducted under the leadership of Hanshi Mehul Vora, founder of Kudo India.
Recently, Sohail lead the Indian contingent at the Kudo World Cup 2025 in Burgas, Bulgaria. He recorded history and became the first Indian male athlete to reach the senior final. He secured a silver medal following a close fight against France’s Quentin Miramont.
Sohail, a gold medallist at 2017 Junior World Cup and four-time international winner at Akshay Kumar Kudo Tournament, also reached the quarterfinals in 2023 Senior World Championship in Tokyo.
With the Asian Championship around the corner, he is once again ready to represent India with pride and aim for the top spot on the podium in Tokyo which is all set to commence from November 1.
