Guwahati: The Khelo India University Games (KIUG 2023) has become a dream come true for many athletes. This tournament has given them the opportunity to break free of their personal hurdles and shine on a national podium.
Mrinal Chauhan in Archery
LPU’s Mrinal Chauhan bagged the Recurve men’s silver medal. KIUG 2023 was his first cameo and it turned out to be a significant milestone for him. He received a boost from the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). Son of a stationery shop manager and a homemaker, he struggled for the necessary archery equipment. But the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sport’s TOPS gave him the much-needed opportunity. He was relieved of his financial burden and given the opportunity to train at the Tata Archery Academy in Jamshedpur.
In the last few years, he bagged a bronze medal in the Archery World Cup in Colombia. Chauhan was the 4th member of the Indian recurve team, which secured silver in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. He also participated in the Archery World Cup in Paris and the World Archery Championships in Berlin. He mentioned that KIUG will be beneficial for the trails ahead of the Paris Olympics.
Prashant Arvind Singh as a Rugby Coach
Prashant Arvind Singh who once worked as a food delivery agent, marshalled Bharati Vidyapeeth to a podium finish in the rugby event. Mumbai-based Prashant who works as a gym instructor comes from a sports background. His father is a newspaper vendor and was himself an athlete in his days. His mother was a district-level kabaddi player and they inculcated a love for sports. However financial conditions led him to take odd jobs until he got the opportunity to coach the Bharati Vidyapeeth team. The team picked at the last moment managed to cling to the bronze making everyone proud. Although the university bagged gold in the 1st and 3rd editions of the KIUG, they had to do with the bronze this year.
Prashant had also represented India at the U-19 level. And was part of the silver medal-winning Maharashtra team in the National Games held in Goa.
These were just two of the examples among many of the players, whose dreams have come true during this ongoing tournament.
