Six years ago, in January 2019, Nethuli Sehansa was featured on the cover of The Sunday Morning Little Stars when she was just starting her journey in karate. 

Since then, she has made remarkable progress and has now earned her black belt. 

In a recent interview with Little Stars, Nethuli shared that being featured in a newspaper at such a young age had been a significant source of motivation, inspiring her to pursue and achieve her ambition. 

Now 13 years old, she continues to excel in her karate journey.

Over the past six years, what has changed for you, Nethuli?

Not much, just my age! Oh, and of course, the size of my books and everything else around me.

For our new Little Stars readers, can you introduce yourself?

I’m Nethuli Sehansa Hewa Uluwattha. I’m 13 years old and studying at Leeds International School, Matara. I'm currently in Grade 9 and preparing for my Ordinary Level exams.

Are you still practising karate?

Yes! I started karate when I was just five years old. My first competition was in 2017.

Who has supported you the most in your karate journey?

I owe a big thank you to my coaches, teachers, and parents. They have helped me so much along the way and have always been happy and proud of my achievements.

Can you share some highlights from your karate journey?

My first tournament was the ‘Inter-Leeds’ competition, where I won first place in ‘kata.’ After that, I started competing at the zonal and district levels, earning many first places and great achievements in my early karate days.

In 2017, I participated in the district tournaments and won first place in both ‘kata’ and ‘kumite.’ Later that year, in another event, I secured first place in ‘kata’ and second place in ‘kumite.’

The year 2018 was a big one for me. It was my first time competing at the International Schools Athletics Championship (ISAC), which was an amazing experience. I was really happy to win first place in both ‘kata’ and ‘kumite’ in the Under 7 category. 

That same year, I competed in the district-level tournament, where I placed third in ‘kata’ and first in ‘kumite.’

In 2019, I entered my first all-island event and won second place in ‘kata’ and first place in ‘kumite.’

Unfortunately, in 2020, I had to take a break due to Covid-19. But when I returned in 2022, I competed in the zonal meets, winning first place in both individual ‘kumite’ and ‘kata.’ Later that year, at the all-island tournament, I secured first place in both ‘kata’ and ‘kumite.’

And now, my biggest achievement: I recently earned my black belt just a couple of weeks ago.

Does earning your black belt mean you have completed your karate training?

Not at all! There’s still a long way to go. 

In the black belt ranking system, there are 10 ‘dans,’ and right now, I’m at the first one, so I have nine more to achieve. How quickly I progress depends on my dedication and the effort I put into my training.

What’s your plan for karate in the future?

I’m going to continue karate at least until my O/Level exams get really close. I’m trying to manage my time since I do other sports as well. 

After my O/Levels, I plan to go for my second ‘dan’ and continue my karate journey from there. 

What other sports do you play?

I play badminton, and sometimes I play chess, but I’m not really a big fan of it. I usually play chess when I’m bored. 

I’ve been doing these sports alongside karate, but since I wasn’t as passionate about them, I didn’t continue practising them regularly.

What are your other interests?

Right now, my favourite subjects are Biology and Chemistry. I also like Maths, although I find it a bit challenging. In English, I really enjoy the stories in my textbook.

I always make sure to keep my grades high. Besides academics, I’m an active member of my school’s Literary Association, where I serve as a committee member and Treasurer. 

I also take part in the English Day competitions and am a member of the Debating Club.

You used to write as a kid. Do you still continue writing?

Not as much as I used to. I kind of stopped writing because I don’t have enough time. But I know I have the talent. I’ve received a lot of commendations for my writing.

What is your ambition?

I want to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. When I was little, I always wanted to be a doctor. But as I grew up, I realised that ‘doctor’ is just a broad term and that there are so many different fields in medicine. 

I’ve always been especially interested in the heart and its anatomy, and I really enjoy studying heart diagrams.

Any special thanks you would like to share?

I’d like to thank Little Stars; my dad framed the cover feature for me, and I keep it in a place where I can see it every day. It gives me a lot of motivation. 

I’m really grateful to Little Stars for giving me that opportunity. The newspaper is still in my certificate file as a keepsake.

I also want to thank my school, coaches, teachers, and parents for all their motivation and helpful advice. And of course, my friends; they’ve been incredibly supportive, so I don’t even need to mention them specifically because they know how much I appreciate them.

Nethuli’s notable recent achievements

• 1st place, ‘kata’ event – Junior and Senior All-Island Karate Championship Trophy Certificate (2025), organised by the Sri Lanka Dakshina Shotokan Karate-Do Association
• 1st place, ‘kumite’ team event – Junior and Senior All-Island Karate Championship Trophy Certificate (2025), organised by the Sri Lanka Dakshina Shotokan Karate-Do Association
• 1st place, Under 12 ‘kumite’ – National Karate Championship (2024), hosted by the Sri Lanka Karate-Do Federation
• 1st place, Under 12 ‘kata’ – National Karate Championship (2024), hosted by the Sri Lanka Karate-Do Federation
• 2nd place, Under 13 individual ‘kata’ event – Sri Lanka Schools Junior Karate Provincial Championship (2024)
• 3rd place, Under 13 individual ‘kumite’ event – Sri Lanka Schools Junior Karate Provincial Championship (2024)
• 2nd place, Under 12 ‘kumite’ – Sri Lanka Schools Junior Karate Championship (2023)
• 1st place, Under 13 ‘kumite’ – International Schools Karate Championship (2024)
• 2nd place, Under 11 ‘kata’ – International Schools Karate Championship (2023)
• 2nd place, Under 12 ‘kumite’ – International Schools Karate Championship (2023)
• 3rd place, Under 12 ‘kata’ – International Schools Karate Championship (2023)