Jakarta bound: Malaprabha Yadav from Tumuri, Belagavi is ready to win big at the upcoming Asian Games

Meet 19-year-old Malaprabha Yadav, a prolific young martial arts fighter aims to bring gold to India in Kurash which is a form of martial arts. She has been selected to represent at the 18th Asian Games which will be held in Jakarta from August 29 to 31. She hails from Turmuri village near Belagavi.

Hailing from Turmuri village near Belagavi district her family has a lot of financial constraints. This has not stopped her to dream of a gold medal. Her father Yallappa Yadav is a farmer who works hard to make ends meet. For him, affording expensive training for his talented daughter is an arduous task. He is worried about handling the travel and other expenses of Malaprabha's upcoming tournament which is going to be held at Jakarta.

She is the same wrestler who won Ekalavya award in 2016 and the Karnataka Olympic Association Award. Now, she needs one lakh rupees to fund her training in Kurash which will be happening in Uzbekistan

Apart from the regular practice session, she has to undergo Kurash training at Uzbekistan which will help in upgrading her wrestling skills. Jithendra Singh, Judo coach, who has been training Malaprabha for 9 years is equally confident about her efficiency in winning the gold medal. He said, "She needs some more training to upgrade her skills. This can happen only if she undergoes a training in Kurash. It is a traditional martial art in Uzbekistan that resembles wrestling. Now it is a new game being played in the Asian games."

Singh is leaving no stone unturned to help his student undergo Kurash training and participate in the Asian games. He has approached several businessmen and other donors asking some funds for training too. "The deadline for training is very close as the flight from Delhi to Uzbekistan is on August 1 and training begins from August 2. We are doing all this to bring pride and joy to the country."

Around 524 players are selected by the government to represent Indian at the Asian games under different sports. I want her to win a gold medal in Kurash for the country and that will be a proud moment for us

Jithendra Singh, Judo Coach 

She has bagged silver medal in the Indo Asian Games held at Kyrgyzstan and pocketed bronze in the Asian Championships held in Pune. She has secured 4 prizes in National level games which include two gold medals, one silver medal, and one bronze medal. 

The young sports talent is not satisfied with so many feathers in her hat. Her selection for the 18th Asian Games is like a dream come true. She is confident of winning gold for the country.