A unique mallakhamb academy in remote Bastar and its superstar coach and athlete

Diu, May 23: Mallakhamb is one of the oldest traditional sports in India and it is alive and kicking in the heart of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district. If there is a classic case study to establish the transformative power of sports and its social impact, here’s the story of Manoj Prasad and his protégé Rakesh Kumar Varda. 
Manoj Prasad is a living example of how sports can bring about social change in troubled Naxal-infested regions of central India. Prasad, an STF (Special Task Force) officer, runs the Abujhmad Mallakhamb Academy in Narayanpur. Uniquely, chirldren from tribal communities are enrolled here and Prasad is like a father figure to them. He takes care of all expenses from accommodation to meals and equipment for training. 
Rakesh, one Prasad’s wards, excelled in mallakhamb, a non-medal sport at the first Khelo India Beach Games underway here. At KIBG, 10 trainees of Prasad’s Abujhmad Mallakhamb Academy, which was established in 2017, took part. For most of them from economically and socially marginalized backgrounds, Diu has been a window to the world. 
Fifteen-year-old Rakesh has been outstanding at KIBG. He had the credentials to do well and he did not fail. Rakesh won a gold medal at the Khelo India Beach Games. Since mallakhamb is a demonstration sport, this medal did not count in the overall tally but it was an endorsement of an athlete’s excellence in a particular sport. 
Rakesh hails from the tribal village of Kutul in the Abujhmad region of Narayanpur district. He is a member of the tribal community and is the only youngster from his area to play mallakhamb. Rakesh has won over 30 medals at national and state-level competitions. 
Recently, Rakesh won four medals (one silver and three bronze) at the Khelo India Youth Games held in Bihar. Rakesh began practicing Mallakhamb at the age of eight. Credit for introducing him to the sport solely goes to his coach, Manoj Prasad. 
Rakesh’s achievemnets speak volumes. In 2022, he set a Limca Book of Records entry for the longest handstand (1 minute and 6 seconds) on a Mallakhamb pole at the All India Handstand Championship. In 2023, he and his team from the Abujhmad Mallakhamb Academy won India’s Got Talent Season 10.
Rakesh has also won a bronze at the Khelo India Youth Games in Panchkula, a bronze at the National Games in Gujarat, a gold, silver, and two bronze medals at the Khelo India Youth Games in Ujjain and a bronze at the National Games in Goa.
Rakesh has faced personal tragedy too. Just two days after returning from the Gujarat National Games, his mother passed away. However, due to lack of communication in his remote village , he received the news only after two days. Speaking to SAI Media, Rakesh said, “My goal is to work towards the development of my region and to pass on the culture of my ancestors to future generations.”
But all credit to Manoj Prasad for remaining a strong force in a sport that does not make mainstream news. “Fulfilling the daily needs of 25 children is not an easy task but seeing the results, senior police and administrative officials living in my area have started helping wholeheartedly for some time now. Along with this, many local people have also come forward to help them. In this, the secretary of Chhattisgarh Malkhamb Sangh, Rajkumar Sharma, has a special contribution and is always willing to help us,” Prasad told SAI Media. 
“I bring tribal children between 5-15 years from different areas and take care of their education and sports needs at the academy. These children come from completely illiterate families with no source of income. I want to help them enter the mainstream on the basis of their abilities so they can secure jobs and lead better lives. I’m all they have,” Prasad, a former national level sprinter, said on an emotional note.
Prasad concluded by saying, “The Khelo India Beach Games is a great initiative. I was happy to see Mallakhamb included in it. Now that the Government of India has announced the organization of Tribal Games, we are very excited. Bringing tribal communities into the mainstream is essential if India is to become a global power—and I believe it can be done through the transformative power of sports.”