In 2019, Saptarshi Mukherjee, a martial arts Hall of Famer and MBA graduate, met an electrician in his spoken English class in West Bengal. This unassuming man, Biswajit, revealed himself to be a 100-meter sprinter with raw talent. Moved by his story, Saptarshi, who had earned bronze medals at the JSKA World Championship in Manchester (2008) and IKA World Championship in Buenos Aires (2007) despite battling asthma, spina bifida, and a disc bulge, saw potential. He funded Biswajit’s training at Rabindra Sarovar Stadium Academy under PT Usha’s instructor, covering all expenses. For six months, Biswajit, though 28, showed remarkable resilience, balancing grueling training with work.

Saptarshi, inspired to create opportunities in sports, approached East Bengal Football Club about Biswajit’s athletic prowess. The club expressed interest, but betrayal struck. Rabindra Sarovar’s authorities denied Biswajit’s involvement in their academy. Worse, at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan International Stadium’s national tournament, Biswajit was forced to compete in the 900-meter race instead of his 100-meter sprint—a deliberate sabotage. Saptarshi later remarked, “In a state so backward in athletics, in Yuva Bharati Stadium, I saw the murder of an athlete by West Bengal hypocrites.” The academy’s excuse? Biswajit’s ambition to join East Bengal’s athletics team threatened their control. Heartbroken, Saptarshi witnessed the crushing of a dream.

Disillusioned, Saptarshi left West Bengal in 2023 for Dehradun, where he had studied BBA. Joining a football academy run by his Nepali friend in a small town, he faced new challenges. His strict training methods drew backlash from students, despite his contributions—securing Byju’s sponsorship for a local tournament that earned Rs. 30,000 and finding an investor for a promising player. Saptarshi took this player to Kolkata, arranging trials with West Bengal Division teams like Food Corporation of India (FCI), East Bengal, Coal India, and Dakhineshwar FC. FCI showed interest, requesting the player return with improved physique. To support the boy from a backward household, Saptarshi secured a sponsor who paid Rs. 6,840 monthly for food.

But betrayal struck again. The player skipped the final trial, admitting he preferred earning money at the Dehradun academy over pursuing a football career. He accused Saptarshi of selfishness, claiming the trials were a ploy to profit from his future success. Devastated, Saptarshi left the academy, his trust shattered.

In Dehradun, he reconnected with his mentor, Sensei Tirthankar Nandy, to train in martial arts. By November 2023, Saptarshi gained permission to coach children at ONGC North Colony. Selecting three students, he applied his rigorous methods, honed by years of overcoming personal health challenges. Within a year, these students won medals at national and international events, including qualifications for the JSKA World Cup in Japan, November 2025. Their success validated Saptarshi’s approach and restored his faith in mentorship.

From the ashes of betrayal and heartbreak, Saptarshi founded Invictus Sportz in November 2023. It became his mission to uplift underprivileged athletes, ensuring no talent would be stifled by hypocrisy or greed. Invictus Sportz was born not just to train but to triumph over adversity, proving that true champions rise where others falter. He states that he will only support those he trains and his mentor Shihan Tirthankar Nandy approves of. 

And then came 2025, the moment when years of struggle, sacrifice and belief finally came together. What had begun in an apartment lobby and a park, with limited infrastructure and even more limited resources, reached the world stage in Japan. Saptarshi Mukherjee took three of his students to the JSKA World Championships, a 34-nation tournament, where they achieved an extraordinary 4 Gold Medals and 1 Silver Medal. For him, this was more than a sporting triumph; it was the culmination of a journey back to Karate after 13 years away, his own return to competition and his achievement of the JSKA Black Belt degree after 15 years. From an apartment lobby in Dehradun to the podium in Japan, 2025 became the chapter that proved that great dreams do not always need great facilities, they need belief, perseverance and someone willing to keep showing up.

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