UDAIPUR: In 2022-23, hundreds of school students and their parents endured a distressing ordeal at a city hotel in New Delhi after being duped of their hard-earned money and misled with false promises of participation in an international event. Their visas for France never arrived on time for the 19th ISF World School Gymnasiade in Normandy, leaving many crushed and financially strained. Among them was young Jaanvi Yadav, whose family is still waiting for the return of the Rs 2.5 lakh her father had scraped together, partly by breaking his Fixed Deposit and partly through personal loans.
Despite the setback, Jaanvi’s father, Uttam Singh, who works at a courier company, refused to let the financial blow derail his daughter’s promising sporting journey. His belief in her remained unshaken.
That faith was rewarded on Thursday when Jaanvi made a remarkable return to the mat after being sidelined for nearly seven months with a left shoulder injury. She clinched the 48kg gold medal in the women’s judo event at the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) 2025, held at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Indoor Multipurpose Hall in Udaipur. The medal marked her second consecutive podium finish at the KIUG, adding to the bronze she won last year in Guwahati for Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU).