17-year-old Janmoni Konwar recently won the gold medal in the National Karate Championship in New Delhi. When she returned home on Monday, however, she found her family still living under a tarpaulin after their house was washed away in the floods last month.
Janmoni, a resident of Bhogdoiporia Gaon in Jorhat district, won the gold medal in the Ashihara category at the championship held at Talkatora Indoor Stadium from August 7 to 9.
Her family was forced to leave their home on July 19 after floodwaters entered the area. The embankment, which breached about 150 metres from their house, sent water into the village and damaged the family’s fishery. Ducks and poultry were washed away, while the family’s buffaloes had to be moved to a safer location.
The fishery was also linked to Janmoni’s participation in the championship. Her family had been raising fish for nearly three years and planned to sell them to meet the expenses of her trip to Delhi.
“We had planned to sell the fish and send Janmoni to the competition, but the flood destroyed that plan,” her elder brother Krishnamoni Konwar said.
The family had earlier sold two buffaloes to help meet the expenses of Janmoni’s participation in karate competitions.
Janmoni began learning karate at the age of five. Despite limited training facilities, she continued with the sport and won a bronze medal in 2023 and gold in 2025. She was preparing for this year’s national championship when the flood hit the area.
With the family displaced and rail services affected, getting her to Delhi became a challenge. Help came after Alakh Pandey, founder of Physics Wallah, learned about Janmoni’s situation during his visit to flood-affected areas of Assam.
Pandey supported the team’s travel to Delhi and back, arranged accommodation and provided Rs 3 lakh to Janmoni’s family. Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita also provided Rs 10,000 in financial assistance.
Janmoni eventually made the trip and competed in the championship, returning with the gold medal.
Her training had continued even after the family moved to the embankment. Without access to a proper training facility, she kept up her practice while her family dealt with the loss of their house and livelihood.
Janmoni arrived at Dibrugarh Airport on Monday and headed back towards her flood-hit village with the medal.
Her family, meanwhile, remains on the embankment. According to Krishnamoni, they may have to stay there until November before they can think about returning home.
A Class XII student, Janmoni now wants to continue her karate career. For the family, her national gold has come at a difficult time, even as they begin the long process of recovering from the flood.
