Sapna's journey started with yoga before she was influenced by some friends to take up judo five years ago. Sapna is now a proud owner of 12 medals, which includes a second Khelo India Youth Games gold which she won in the under-40 kg category here on Sunday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sapna, whose father is a welder and mother a housewife, said her parents don\u2019t have any clue about her sport but they have never stopped her from participating.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI was mad about medals, no matter what the sport was. The only thing I wanted was to win medals. At the nearby school, I saw some kids doing yogasana and I joined them. But some days later, I befriended some other kids there and found them training for judo. I instantly liked the sport and decided to pursue it\u2026 and that\u2019s how the journey started,\u201d she said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Now, a student of Class 12, Sapna\u2019s initial days in the sport were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic but she never missed a day of training.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cOur trainer used to take online classes, and we were assigned to make small videos of our training, and I did not miss a day\u2019s training. I somehow felt that if I missed a day of training I would miss a medal on resumption of competitions. That feeling pushed me to work harder,\u201d she recalled with a smile.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sapna tasted success for the first time at the National Cadet Women\u2019s League when she won a gold medal. She hasn\u2019t looked back since. The judoka has so far won overall four National Cadet Women\u2019s League gold medals, two Khelo India gold, and a host of silver and bronze medals at the national championships.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
However, it hasn\u2019t been a cakewalk for Sapna as her modest background and lack of financial support forced her to miss the Commonwealth Cadet Championships in South Africa.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThere have been several examples (of challenges) but the one I clearly remember is an opportunity to take part in the Commonwealth Cadet championships. It required around Rs 2 lakh, which I couldn\u2019t manage, and had to miss out on. I was a bit upset then, but took it in my stride,\u201d she said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Despite the setback, there has been no shortage of motivation for the 17-year-old, who feels her second KIYG gold medal will help her shine in the junior category.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
For now, Sapna is happy to have inspired both her younger brothers to take up judo, and one of them has found instant success by winning a silver at the sub-junior nationals held at Chandigarh University in 2023.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cOnce I started winning medals, my younger brothers also developed an interest in the sport, so I started taking them along for training. And now my immediate younger brother is National Sub-Junior junior silver medallist while the other looks a promising prospect too,\u201d she added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sapna has not only welded her name in the annals of the sport but also inspired her siblings to take it up.<\/p>\r\n\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2024\/01\/kiyg-2023-daughter-of-a-welder-chandigarhs-sapna-shines-with-a-second-gold.jpeg", "alt_img": "KIYG 2023: Daughter of a welder, Chandigarh\u2019s Sapna shines with a second gold", "alt_title": "KIYG 2023: Daughter of a welder, Chandigarh\u2019s Sapna shines with a second gold", "image1": null, "video": null, "seo_title": "KIYG 2023: Daughter Of A Welder, Chandigarh\u2019s Sapna Shines With A Second Gold On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "KIYG 2023: Daughter Of A Welder, Chandigarh\u2019s Sapna Shines With A Second Gold, Khelo India Youth Games: A childhood obsession for medals introduced Chandigarh\u2019s Sapna to sports and she is now fulfilling that.", "seo_keywords": "Khelo India Youth Games, Tamil Nadu, SAI Media, National Cadet Women, Khelo India, Commonwealth Cadet Championships, South Africa, Commonwealth Cadet, Chandigarh University, National Sub", "tag": "", "tagging": "Khelo India Youth Games, Tamil Nadu, SAI Media, National Cadet Women, Khelo India, Commonwealth Cadet Championships, South Africa, Commonwealth Cadet, Chandigarh University, National Sub", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": null, "slug": "kiyg-2023-daughter-of-a-welder-chandigarhs-sapna-shines-with-a-second-gold", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "0", "ians_date": null, "ians_time": null, "server_time": null, "trash": "0", "view_count": "929", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "0", "created": "2024-01-22 18:08:04", "updated": "2024-01-22 18:08:04", "img_from": "Image Source: IANS", "img_source": null, "schedule_publish": null, "news_keywords": "Khelo India Youth Games, Tamil Nadu, SAI Media, National Cadet Women, Khelo India, Commonwealth Cadet Championships, South Africa, Commonwealth Cadet, Chandigarh University, National Sub", "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "1", "google_feed": "1", "read_more": "0", "posted_by": "23", "jio_date": "2024-01-22 18:08:04", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "0", "breaking_news": "0", "google_date": null, "featured": "0", "sports_name": "others", "cnmid": "855447", "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/sports-news\/kiyg-2023-daughter-of-a-welder-chandigarhs-sapna-shines-with-a-second-gold-12469" }