Nine-year-old Bengaluru girl wins second place at World Whistling Championship in Japan: Report

A nine-year-old girl from Bengaluru secured second place at the 46th World Whistling Championship in Kawasaki, Japan.

Published on: Jul 6, 2024, 16:00:08 IST

By Yamini C S

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Nine-year-old Svara Menon, a resident of Karnataka capital Bengaluru, recently achieved success at the 46th World Whistling Championship in Kawasaki, Japan, held from May 30 to June 2. Competing in the Recorded Accompaniment Category–Child Division, she secured second place, The Hindu reported.

Out of 125 participants, only three were from India, with Svara being the sole child contestant. (Pixabay)

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Svara’s mother, Binitha Shajesh, spoke to reporters and expressed surprise at her daughter’s journey into competitive and professional whistling, initially pursued as a hobby. Discovering potential after watching a YouTube video of a girl from Chennai setting a Guinness World Record in whistling, Binitha decided to provide her daughter direction by seeking out a coach, the report stated.

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Finding a coach proved challenging, as professional whistling is not widely recognized in India. Svara was guided by Nikhil Rane, a two-time world champion, who encouraged her to participate in the championship, the publication added.

Out of 125 participants, only three were from India, with Svara being the sole child contestant. Reflecting on her Japan experience, Svara found the country serene and enjoyed its cuisine. Her standout memory was overcoming stage nerves, performing her whistling routine, and feeling relieved afterward.

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Svara, currently a fourth-grade student at a private school in the city, shared her excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to compete internationally.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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