5-Year-Old Wins Gold in Martial Arts on Skates

A five-year-old from Amritsar, India, just made history by becoming the first child ever to perform traditional Sikh martial arts on skates at the world level.

Fateh Singh Gill won gold in Gatka on Skates at the 2026 World Martial Art Games in Pattaya, Thailand. But his journey started three years earlier, when his father noticed something special in his hand movements.

Ramandeep Singh, himself a competitive bodybuilder, spotted his two-year-old son's exceptional wrist control. He customized a small kirpan, a traditional Sikh ceremonial dagger, for Fateh to practice with.

The family didn't expect Fateh to compete until he was ten or eleven. Then videos they posted online caught the attention of European martial arts organizers, who invited the toddler to compete.

Training began when Fateh was just three. For months, he practiced daily through the bitter Amritsar winter while his mother Navpreet Kaur brought diapers and food to the training grounds.

"I don't know how a little kid like him had such drive and determination," Navpreet told the Times of India. At three, Fateh couldn't even feed himself, but he showed up every day.

The first competition brought heartbreak when Navpreet's visa was denied. She had to let her three-year-old travel to Europe without her, trusting her husband to care for their young champion.

The sacrifice paid off. Fateh won both the World Grand Prix Fit Kid and Mr. Universal Fit Kid titles at 3.5 years old. He's since performed in Singapore and Thailand, with his latest gold medal cementing his place in martial arts history.

Sunny's Take

This story reminds us that supporting our children's natural gifts doesn't mean waiting until they're "old enough." Sometimes it means carrying diapers to practice in freezing weather because a three-year-old has found their calling.

Navpreet credits advice her mother gave during pregnancy: "A mother should do good deeds while she is pregnant." She believes those early spiritual practices and family visits to the gurdwara shaped Fateh's dedication.

The family never pushed Fateh toward competition. They simply noticed what made him light up and created space for it to grow, even when it meant personal sacrifice and logistical challenges.

Today, Fateh continues training while being a normal kindergartener. His parents plan to keep supporting his passion as long as it remains his choice, not theirs.