Thursday, October 1, 2026
Akshay Chopra started practicing karate when he was two, following his older siblings. After three years of training, the Glen Head Elementary first grader won two gold medals and a silver in Kumite, or sparring, at the USA Karate Open Championships and Junior International Cup.
Over the four-day tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, Akshay sparred against children from around the world. Competitors gathered at the championship at the beginning of April from Panama, Japan, India, Hong Kong, Argentina, Guatemala, Portugal, Russia, and Spain, among others.
Akshay said there was some confusion for him while competing against children from so many different places.
“I don’t know their languages,” he said.
Akshay trains with Senseis Adam and Ashley Sabry, world champion and former U.S. Olympian respectively. His training consists of sparring, calisthenics, strength training and stretching.
“I train every day,” he said. Monday through Friday, Akshay trains three hours a day. He works with a strength coach on weekends.
To qualify for the tournament, Akshay had to win two USA Karate state championships. Akshay was named state champion in New Jersey and Massachusetts. He was then registered with USA Karate, the national governing body for the sport, for Open Championships and Junior International Cup.
“It takes one skill to be great in your dojo, then another skill to be great in your state, and then to win in multiple states,” said Samir Chopra, Akshay’s father. “And so, every time he progresses, we kind of increase the level of training that he goes through.”
Chopra explained that there is a lot of preparation involved in competing from physical training to conversations about what strategies work and which do not. He added that his two older children guide Akshay well.
Because Akshay started Karate at such a young age, he often sparred against older children who were physically bigger than him. Chorpa described those situations as “intimidating.” He also noted the importance of failure to Akshay’s learning process.
“I saw Akshay fail early, but he had the mindset and the guidance to keep persevering and pushing through,” he said. “So, as a dad, that’s all I could ask and want, that he has that ability to push through on difficult things in his life.”
Akshay said that while he was nervous before sparring in the Open Championships and Junior International Cup, it was “exciting” to win two gold medals and a silver. He added that winning is something he likes about competing.
Families filled the arena to support their children in the competition. Chopra described the tournament as an “emotional rollercoaster” because of how scary it can be to watch Akshay spar, the desire for him to do well, and the hope for him to give his best effort even if he loses. He also said that seeing Akshay succeed at a high level was one of his happiest moments.
“As a father,” Chorpa said, “it’s a crowning achievement in my life because all three of my kids were national champions.”
What comes next in Akshay’s karate journey is for Akshay to decide, Chopra said. Akshay said his goal is to “keep improving.”
