Munish Sood
MANDI:
In a landmark achievement for Indian sports and Himachal Pradesh, 16-year-old Shauryaveer Yadav from Dadour in Mandi has won the bronze medal at the Junior Asian Kurash Championship-2025 held in Cheongju, South Korea.
With this, he has become the first-ever athlete from Himachal Pradesh to win a medal at the Asian level in Kurash, a traditional martial art rooted in Central Asia.
Competing in the 90-kg junior boys category, Shauryaveer faced off against top contenders from 25 Asian countries, emerging as one of the standout performers of the tournament. His victory not only etched his name in the record books but also brought unprecedented pride to Himachal’s sporting legacy.
A first for Himachal Pradesh
The medal marks a historic milestone as never before has a player or coach from Himachal Pradesh been selected to represent India in an Asian Kurash Championship. Both Shauryaveer and his coach, Virender Singh Dhaulta, broke new ground by making it to the national squad and returning home with a podium finish.
Virender Dhaulta, a Commonwealth judo medallist and general secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Kurash Association, was appointed coach of the Indian team for the championship. Under his expert mentorship, Shauryaveer mastered the nuances of Kurash and developed into one of the sport’s most promising young athletes.
Speaking on the achievement, Dhaulta shared, “We were hopeful for a gold, but an unfortunate back injury limited his performance. Despite that, Shauryaveer showed extraordinary grit and transformed adversity into triumph. This bronze medal is a historic moment for our state.”
Shauryaveer’s success is deeply rooted in a family of accomplished athletes. His father Dr Sanjay Yadav is an international player and recipient of the prestigious Parshuram Award. He was recently honored with the State Teacher Award-2024. Adding to the family’s decorated background, Shauryaveer’s uncle Jagdish Yadav has earned titles such as Himachal Kesari and Himachal Kumar in traditional wrestling.
Rising star on the national stage
This is not Shauryaveer’s first taste of success. He previously secured a silver medal at the National Junior Kurash Championship and a bronze in wrestling at the National School Games 2025 held at Delhi’s iconic Chhatrasal Stadium. He was also named ‘Best Player’ in Kurash during the State School Indoor Games.
The young athlete’s achievement has sparked celebrations across the state’s sporting community. Officials and supporters have hailed it as a turning point for martial arts in Himachal and preparations are already underway to honour Shauryaveer and coach Dhaulta at a public felicitation event.
