Udaipur, Nov 29 (IANS) In 2022-23, hundreds of school students and their parents endured a distressing ordeal at a city hotel in New Delhi after being duped of their hard-earned money and misled with false promises of participation in an international event. Their visas for France never arrived on time for the 19th ISF World School Gymnasiade in Normandy, leaving many crushed and financially strained. Among them was young Jaanvi Yadav, whose family is still waiting for the return of the Rs 2.5 lakh her father had scraped together, partly by breaking his Fixed Deposit and partly through personal loans.

Despite the setback, Jaanvi’s father, Uttam Singh, who works at a courier company, refused to let the financial blow derail his daughter’s promising sporting journey. His belief in her remained unshaken.

That faith was rewarded on Thursday when Jaanvi made a remarkable return to the mat after being sidelined for nearly seven months with a left shoulder injury. She clinched the 48kg gold medal in the women’s judo event at the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) 2025, held at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Indoor Multipurpose Hall in Udaipur. The medal marked her second consecutive podium finish at the KIUG, adding to the bronze she won last year in Guwahati for Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU).

Just 19, Jaanvi is already a seasoned competitor with multiple Khelo India medals to her name, including a gold at the Khelo India Youth Games in 2021 and a silver in 2023. A third-year Bachelor of Physical Education and Sports (BPES) student, she is the younger of two siblings and hails from Delhi’s Dwarka locality.

Her talent has shone on the international stage as well. Jaanvi won a silver medal at the 2019 Commonwealth Sub-Junior Championships in Birmingham and repeated the feat three years later at the Asian Cadet Championships in Bangkok.

“My family has been supportive of my choice right from the start. My father is the sole bread earner of the family, and works at a private courier company in the airport, but despite all financial difficulties, he has always backed me fully. I still remember the incident which left us devastated, my father broke his FD and also took some loans to gather that amount after I had topped the qualifications held in Bhubaneswar.

“Whatever happened was really disturbing but my father never allowed that to affect me. He has always backed me fully, and today whatever I am, it is because of the sacrifices made by my parents,” she said.

Training at the Ramvir Solanki Club in Dwarka, Jaanvi has also impressed in the ASMITA Leagues, and she credits the financial assistance from the Khelo India initiative for easing the pressures of an athlete’s life.

“The stipend from the Khelo India scheme has been really helpful for me as I don’t have to further trouble my parents for the nutritional needs, getting training gears, and at times travel for competitions,” she said.

Her journey, however, has been far from smooth. In 2023, Jaanvi injured her left shoulder during the final of the All-India Inter-University Championships in Amritsar. After consulting doctors, she continued competing through the pain for nearly a year, even winning bronze at the 2024 KIUG. Eventually advised to undergo surgery, she went under the knife earlier this year.

Motivated to return stronger, Jaanvi set her sights on making KIUG 2025 the stage for a memorable comeback, an ambition she fulfilled with her gold medal finish. With renewed confidence and momentum, she now looks ahead to the Junior National trials next month, determined to keep climbing the ranks and repaying the faith her family has placed in her.

–IANS

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