WATCH | 10-year-old Shauryajit Khaire becomes youngest medalist at National Games
Shauryajit Khaire, who won a bronze medal in Mallakhamb and became the youngest medallist at the 36th National Games in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, displayed grit that belied his young age of 10. Even more incredible is the way the young boy overcame a personal tragedy to compete at the Games.
On September 30, when Khaire was preparing for the games, his father passed away. Khaire first thought about skipping the competitions, but his mother and coach pushed him to go in remembrance of his father. In reality, on October 8, midway through the competition, Khaire left for home to perform his father's last rites before flying back to Ahmedabad for the following round.
Even though the 10-year-old was the youngest competitor in Mallakhamb at the National Games, he nonetheless astounded everyone with his remarkable movements.
Watch | In action, the youngest medalist at the 36th National Games in Mallakhamb Shauryajit Khaire's performance at #NationalGames2022 pic.twitter.com/l6rmP5u0pk
— DD News (@DDNewslive) October 11, 2022
Khaire has put in a lot of work over the past six years and has already seen success, taking home two bronze medals at the national championships. His father introduced him to Mallakhamb when he was at a very early age.
The young man with a tonne of talent wants to realise a goal that his father once had by winning gold in the national games. He received many accolades for his outstanding work in Ahmedabad, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi even referring to him as a "star" on Twitter.
Gymnasts engage in the sport of mallakhamb, where they engage in aerial yoga or gymnastic poses while hanging from a rope, cane, or wooden pole. The activity has been included in this edition of the National Games and is fairly well-liked in several regions of India.
With the inaugural World Championships occurring in 2019, several past players have also taken it abroad. Khaire's ultimate goal is to win the World Championship gold medal and return home with it.