Yogasana worlds

Khelo India Youth Games: Twenty-year-old Ritu Mondal, the daughter of a mason from a small village in West Bengal’s Hooghly district, has made the country proud by winning two gold medals at the inaugural World Yogasana Championships in Ahmedabad. More importantly, the achievement has brought her a step closer to a dream she shares with her family, representing India on the biggest sporting stages and one day winning an Olympic medal.

For Ritu, these medals are the result of years of hard work, sacrifice and determination. Her parents and elder brother, who travelled to Ahmedabad to watch her compete, were overcome with emotion as they saw her celebrate her victories with the Indian flag wrapped around her shoulders.

“My father works as a mason, and despite our financial difficulties, my family always supported my dreams,” Ritu told SAI Media. “I spent years training and practising Yogasana while many others my age were doing different things. There were challenges, but I never gave up because I believed in my goal.”