shauryajit-khaire

Picture Credit: Twitter

The 36th National Games held in Gujarat has already produced some gems that have created their own identity and displayed their untapped potential. One such athlete is a ten-year-old from Gujarat, who has put one of India’s oldest sports on the map. This incredible sportsperson is Shauryajit Khaire, who created history by becoming the youngest medallist in the tournament. 


Khaire competes in Mallakham one of India’s oldest sporting disciplines where a gymnast performs aerial yoga postures and wrestling grips on vertical stationary or hanging wooden pole, cane, or rope. Competing in the Pole Mallakhamb discipline, young Shauryajit had a brilliant routine to clinch the bronze. 


Shauryajit Khaire may seem like any ten-year-old who took to  Mallakhamb as an extracurricular activity. But no, this youngster has battled a lot of adversity and is fulfilling his recently deceased father’s dream with this sport. Shauryajit lost his father, Ranjit Kumar, on 30th September and wanted to pull out of the tournament. But his mother and coach Jeet Sapkal encouraged him to participate in the National Games.


While speaking to Hindustan Times, Khaire talked about how his father introduced him to the sport and after some apprehension, how he fell in love with Mallakhamb. He said, “My father (Ranjit Kumar) introduced me to Mallakhamb and told me it is a good sport. I am training for the last six years. I found it very difficult initially but gradually I have started loving it.”


The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi also acknowledged the youngster’s achievements in a tweet. PM Modi praised the youngster for his resilience and called him a ‘star’. Check the post here: