Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2024: When grit turned children into champions

Goldie Kumari was just 10 months old when she lost her mother and her left hand in an accident at the Bakhtiyarpur Railway Junction. Fast forward to earlier this month, at the World Ability Sports Youth Games held in Thailand, Kumari, now aged sixteen, won a gold and a bronze medal.

On Thursday, a beaming Kumari was awarded the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar by President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre in New Delhi.

Kumari was one of 17 children that received the country’s highest civilian honour for children, awarded annually by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

Seven of those awardees were recognised for their stellar achievements in sports.

Here’s a look at their accomplishments.

Anish Sarkar, Chess

In November, this year, three-year-old Anish Sarkar became the world's youngest-rated player, earning his first FIDE rating (1555). The child prodigy made his classical debut at the West Bengal U9 Championship in October this year and took on opponents that were over six years older than him.

And yet, little Sarkar scored two victories over rated players and returned a remarkable score of 5.5/8 to finish 24th out of 140 players in the field.

A week later, he fulfilled the minimum score needed to secure the coveted FIDE rating, which became official on November 1.

Hembati Nag, Judo

15-year-old Hembati Nag lost her parents at a young age and was raised in an orphanage.

In 2021, she accidentally happened to watch older children practicing judo. Soon enough, she was on the mat executing Judo moves herself. She would then go on to win a silver medal at the Khelo India Games.

Hailing from the Naxal-affected area of Chhattisgarh, Nag’s resilience was praised by the President.

“Amidst all the challenges, on the strength of her perseverance, courage and skill, Hembati has made her mark at the national level in Judo,” President Murmu said.

Saanvi Sood, Mountaineering

From an early age, Saanvi Sood was attracted to the mountains after visiting her father's work sites in the hills.

This attraction led to frequent hikes and soon, it was time for the big expedition.

In 2022, at 7-years of age, she became the youngest Indian to get to the Everest Base Camp. The same year, in July, she successfully scaled the African continent's highest peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro at 5895 meters. At the time, she was Asia’s youngest girl to scale the mountain.

In July last year, Saanvi was at it again, becoming the youngest to climb Mt. Kosciusko (2,222 meters) and Mt. Elbrus (5,642 meters) in Russia.

Priteesmita Bhoi, Weightlifting

In May this year, at the 2024 IWF Youth World Weightlifting Championships at Lima, Peru, 15-year-old Bhoi set the stage on fire by setting a new youth world record in the 40 kg weight category.

The record was of immense significance as it marked the first time that an Indian lifter had created a new youth world record in weightlifting.

The teenager from Odisha was understandably elated.

"I am thrilled to have set a new world record. This is a dream come true. I couldn't have done it without the support of my coaches, family, and the federation. I will continue to work hard and pursue my dreams," she had said to the media at the time.

Jessy Raj Mathrapu, Roller Staking

Jessy was just 9 years old when she was smitten by roller staking.

Dedication to master the craft ensured that by the age of 13, Jessy was already the number one skater in the country.

In June this year, she represented India and won the gold medal at the World Oceanic Roller Skating Championship in New Zealand.

Jessy is a Class IX student at the NSM School in Vijayawada.

Arav Bhardwaj, Cycling

As little kid growing up, young Arav heard stories of the freedom struggle from his father.

Moved by what he heard, the 12-yeard-old aspired to pay his respects and on the 25th anniversary of the Kargil War, with his father and 66-year-old grandfather in tow, Arav set out on a 1,200km journey from the Kargil War Memorial in Kargil on his bicyble.

It was a trip that took two years of preparation and progressive training.

Incidentally, this wasn’t his first bicycle expedition.

When he was 10 years old, Arav had undertaken a 2,612kms journey to commemorate the 75th Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and 125th anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. This involved cycling for 32 days from the INA Museum Moirang in Manipur to Delhi’s National War Memorial.