The family used to live in a hut near the drain once, archers took the bow to escape from Povertynew Delhi: because most of his life, Archer Pravin Jadhav lived in a hut near the Sewal Channel in the Maharashtra Satade District.
Jadhav spent his childhood and most of his teenagers live a life full of difficulties.
Ten years ago, he didn’t even know what, why and how archy was the Olympic sport.
His father, Ramesh, was a daily wage worker at the construction site and Mother used to help farm.
There is a continuous struggle to provide two full foods a day.
“Our condition is really bad.
We live in huts.
We don’t have electricity and almost no money,” remember the age of 25 years, which will represent India at the Tokyo Olympics.
Jadhav will work with the Urana Das and Tarundeep Rai on the men’s recurve team and also compete in individual capacity.
There were times in his life when he almost joined his father as a daily wage laborer.
Fighting to meet needs, Pravin’s father told him that he had to drop out of school and join him at the construction site.
“Like most people in Sarade, I almost joined my father as a daily wage laborer,” Archer said.
But then destiny has something different written for him.
Pravin is used to study at Zilla Parishad school in Sarade.
His sports teacher Vikas Bhujbal knew about his family’s financial condition and urged Pravin to enter athletics so he could get money.
“Bhujbal Sir told me to start running and taking part in the competition.” At least you will get to get and don’t have to go to the construction site ‘, he told me.
So I started running 400 and 800 meters, “recalled.” Pravin.
But being very lack of nutrition proved to be a curse for Jadhav in running.
Once he fainted while warming up.
Bhujbal provides all dietary requirements and costs for Pravin training so he can compete.
With a better diet, Jadhav tasts success in Taluka and the district level.
This makes it a choice for the Prabodhini Krida Scheme Government Maharashtra, which provides free guidance, education and lodging to athletes from rural areas in the housing academy.
Archery came through an accident in Krida Prabodhini Hostel in Ahmednagar when he was chosen for sports during training when he threw 10 out of 10 balls on the ring of 10 meters.
“Because my body was a little on the weaker side, I was asked to try archery and I continued to do it since then,” Jadhav said.
After that, Jadhav was placed in Prabodhini Krida in Amravati, Vidarbha, sharpening his archery skills.
Initially, he used a traditional bamboo arc for a year before moving to modern equipment.
Archery is a sport that is difficult to master.
Most beginner heaters experience difficult times at first and many have lost patience in a year.
Pravin struggled with a weight of the recurve arc and used to experience pain on his shoulder while firing an arrow.
Even though it is physically weak, the specified Pravin is stored in it.
He soldiers through the pain and busyness of bad results during the learning curve.
“I realized that I had to work as a laborer if I was unsuccessful (in archery), which was why I continued to work hard.
In the hard time, my first thought was that after doing all the hard work to do this stage I could not let go and accept defeat , so I keep working hard against my goal, “he said.
The next trial for Jadhav came when his job in Krida Prabodhini would end and he had to buy his own archery equipment so he could continue his journey in sports.
The archery kit is worth around RS 3 Lakh and he does not have finance.
“The government helped me.
When I participated in the World Cup (Archery World Cup 2016 in Medellin, Colombia) for India, I got a government grant and used the money to buy my equipment.” Jadhav’s financial situation was slightly increased, especially after he joined the Indian Army in 2017 with sports quota.
He is now training at the Army Sports Institute in Pune.
The trip from Sarade Village to Tokyo was difficult, but Pravin knew he was his dream.