Community Achievements

Dhanvi Deshpande

Kannada Sangha Queensland Inc. is incredibly proud to celebrate the achievements of Dhanvi Deshpande, a young Kannadiga from Queensland who is representing Australia on the global stage of space research and satellite technology.

Dhanvi has been selected as one of only four Australian students chosen to represent the country in Mission ShakthiSAT — a global, all-girls space education initiative led by Space Kidz India and Dr. Srimathy Kesan. The mission brings together 12,000 girls from 108 countries for hands-on training in satellite design and space science, working towards the world's first all-girl-led lunar CubeSat mission. Australia's participation is coordinated by the AIMERS Foundation, an Australian not-for-profit advancing STEM, AI, and space technology for young Australians, under Founder and President Sukruti Narayanan.

As part of this achievement, Dhanvi will travel to Gautam Buddha University in Noida, India, from 20 August to 1 September 2026, for an intensive residential training program alongside scientists and engineers from around the world.

A Year of Leadership and Achievement

Beyond this selection, Dhanvi has shown remarkable initiative over the past year:

Named Student State Champion for Queensland by the AIMERS Foundation
Presented on the main stage at ConASTA 73, the national conference of the Australian Science Teachers Association
Published an article and contributed to a podcast series on science communication for teens
Representing the Mission ShakthiSAT Queensland Squad at the upcoming India Day Fair, where she will help lead the cultural parade and speak on stage alongside the Mayor and community leaders

KSQ congratulates Dhanvi, and extends warm appreciation to her parents, Dr. Charita and Deepak Deshpande, for nurturing her passion for science and space.

Follow Dhanvi's Journey

Pratik Navin

Pratik began playing tennis at the age of 5 and has risen to become one of the top two players in the QLD category for both the Under 16 and Under 18 age groups. Now 16 years old, Pratik is a full-time student at Nudgee College, located north of Brisbane.

Finalist – Excellence in Sport Award from Bharatiya Samaj Queensland.
Fiji International Tennis Federation Junior Tournament (August 2025): Doubles Winner & Singles Finalist.
Adelaide International Tennis Federation Junior Tournament (September 2025): Doubles Winner.

Tanisha Gudigar

Tanisha Gudigar, who captained Queensland state to second place at the 2024 School Sport Australia U13 National Championships.

Tanisha's dream came true when she was named Queensland Captain, a goal she set for herself this year. Her leadership and determination were key to the team’s sensational performance at the 5-day tournament held in Adelaide. Despite a tough loss to NSW in the opening match, the team bounced back strong, winning every other game.

Tanisha was also named the best bowler of the tournament, with a standout performance against ACT: four overs, two maidens, five runs, and five wickets! In addition, Tanisha won the Sportsmanship Award for her integrity on the field, including when she withdrew an appeal against WA after a runout mistake – a true reflection of her character. We are incredibly proud of Tanisha’s achievements and the entire Qld team for their fantastic performance!

Tanisha Gudigar was named in U16 Paul Pink Shield Taverner's Team of the season for her performance in the carnival with bat and ball. She was captain of University of Queensland Team.

Tanisha Gudigar played T20 Max Premier competition this year for Ipswitch Team. This is her big achievement as young player to participate in the history of the competition. She had opportunity to share dressing room and play along with 5 international players in her team.

We’d love to hear about any achievements or exciting milestones you’d like to share with the community, please feel free to send your details to the below email address.