Bastar: With a stellar performance, Yuvraj Singh from Chhattisgarh's Bastar district recently secured a bronze medal for India in the 2022 IFMA Muay Thai Youth World Championship held in the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur between August 9 and 20. Thirteen-year-old Singh, who represented the country in the 71 kg division, faced opponents from Brazil and England before having his stint cut short by his Uzbek opponent in the semi-finals.
"It is a matter of pride for me to have represented India in the world championship, a place where every match brought forth a new experience. I learnt something in the matches I won, and took home learnings in the ones I could not. Although I have missed the gold medal this time, next time I will definitely ensure it" said Singh.
Noting that the fuel that drives his passion emerges from the training and support he receives from his parents and coach Abdul Moin, the teenager says he will not shy away from putting in more hours to see better results. "I sweat it out for four hours a day in the ring. My parents support me a lot, and my coach provides all sorts of help."
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"When I look back, I can see expectations in their eyes for me. I have been able to reach the world championship, but if there is now a requirement to sweat more in the ring, I am ready to spend more than four hours," he says with confidence. A Class IX student of Deepti Convent School in Jagdalpur, Yuvraj notes that the decision of taking up Muay Thai came from the pro wrestling he used to gobble up on the television as a child. "When I was seven, I started taking lessons for wrestling."
Gradually, I became fond of fighting and then started taking Muay Thai coaching. After three years of professional coaching, I participated in my first state-leve Muay Thai game at the age of 10," he says. "Luck supported me, and I became the state champion. Subsequently, I prepared for nationals and from there the upward rise began" he added.
