Panaji: There are days in the life of an athlete when the years of struggle and perseverance find a new meaning and their fortune changes forever.
For the Chhattisgarh Men’s Mallakhamb team – who clinched Bronze in the Team Championships at the 37th National Games Goa 2023 on Saturday – that day was when Special Task Force sergeant Manoj Prasad walked into their lives in 2018.
Having gone through the rigours of being an athlete and National level runner himself, Manoj made it his life’s mission to help the underprivileged children lead a life of dignity through sports.
Speaking about his journey from being an Army man to Mallakhamb coach, Prasad said, “I have participated in several National level competitions as a runner and saw the problems that athletes face. So, it was always my dream to one day become a coach and rectify this situation as much as I can.
“Then when I got posted in Chhattisgarh in the Special Task Force, I saw each corner of this state and saw the talent in the grassroots level who had no access to any kind of opportunities to pursue sports seriously.
I was introduced to Mallakhamb in my time in the STF, and I still remember the first time we went to compete as a team – I had tears in my eyes that day because Chhattisgarh was so far behind the other states,” he added.
Since then, Manoj has become a full-time coach and heads the Abujhmad Mallakhamb Academy in Narayanpur.
However, the term coach doesn’t nearly sum up his role in the life of his students. His Academy houses over 25 students, provides them food, education, clothes and even psychological and social guidance to cement their place in the world.
Due to frequent rainfall in Narayanpur, Manoj has also constructed an indoor training facility so his students don’t face any hindrances in their training. He even took on a personal loan of 5 lakh rupees to build this facility.
“From 2017 to 2020 until the covid pandemic, my team won several National Championships and reached number one rank in all of India. I had to put my whole life’s work; all my money, savings and power to make sure my kids reach this stage.
Mallakhamb was not a popular sport back then so there was never any support from outside – I had to invest my own money in training facilities and travel and stay for competitions across India,” Manoj said.
Just as his team clinched the Bronze Medal at the 37th National Games, it was a red-letter day for the group for a whole other reason as well. The same group that won this medal on Saturday has also reached the finals of the reality TV show India’s Got Talent, which will be aired at 9pm on Sony TV network yesterday.
“I am so proud of what this team has achieved on the India’s Got Talent show. We cleared 13 episodes to reach the finals, which is a big achievement. Just this morning, we even got an email from America’s Got Talent inviting us to participate in their show next year.
To tell you the truth, these achievements are great, but what makes me the happiest is that the sport of Mallakhamb has allowed my kids today to earn enough money to lead a good life and build houses for their parents. There can be nothing more satisfying than this for me,” stated Manoj.
Member of the National Games Goa Bronze Medal winning team and son of a family of paddy and maize farmers, Monu Netam, also spoke about his coach, saying, “He is my guru and like a God to me.
I remember I was really scared during the covid lockdowns; at that time Manoj sir took me and 5 other kids into his own home and provided a house, food, clothes and even books for us to read and learn our schoolwork.
He has taught me how to deal with difficult situations in life. He hasn’t taken a day off or returned home in the last 8 years just so we never miss a single day of training. I dedicate this medal to Manoj sir.”
