From borrowing money to beach glory: Prasanna Bendre's hard work finally pays off

Diu, May 23 (PTI) His sporting aspirations were once powered by borrowed money and crowdfunding campaigns. But now, Prasanna Bendre has emerged as a breakout star with a hat-trick of medals at the Khelo India Beach Games.

At the inaugural edition of the games, Bendre has won two gold and a bronze in pencak silat, a traditional martial art form with roots in the Indonesian and Malaysian civilizations and which was part of the 2018 Asian Games.

Prior to this moment of glory, his father knocked on doors, sent messages, and even turned to reluctant relatives to seek support for his son's passion for a sport most in India have not heard of.

"I don't remember the schedule of my events anymore," a smiling Bendre told PTI after his final medal -- a bronze in the ganda (doubles) event with partner Sudhanshu to cap a successful week.

"It's been non-stop matches since Monday. But I'm not tired. I'm just grateful." The 23-year-old's journey began on a difficult note.

Hailing from Daman, a coastal town in the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu (DNHDD), Bendre's choice of the sport didn't make things easy for him and his family.

It wasn't cricket or badminton. There were no sponsorships, no fanfare. Only questions.

"People used to ask, 'Isse kya ho jayega?' (What will you even achieve with this?)," he recalled.

"But once I started winning medals, their attitude changed. All the negatives turned into positives. Meri mehnat rang layi hai (my hardwork has paid off)." To support his sporting dreams, Bendre's family went to extraordinary lengths.

His father spearheaded crowdfunding campaigns, knocking on doors and sending messages to raise money for his international travel. They even borrowed from reluctant relatives, managing whatever little they could.

"To compete internationally, we had to do crowdfunding. We belong to the Maharashtrian community, and even they stepped in to help," he said.

"Some relatives were reluctant at first. But now, they are so proud -- my phone hasn't stopped ringing with congratulatory messages," he said.

Bendre struck gold in tanding (45kg combat), followed it up with another in tunggal (solo demonstration), and ended with a bronze in ganda (doubles), keeping hosts DNHDD ahead of giants such as Maharashtra and Haryana in the pecking order midway into the games.

"It's a proud moment. To win three medals and be the top performer from a small UT is something I'll always cherish," he said.

"I hope it is there in the Asian Games next year and I get to win a medal." "I hope pencak silat becomes part of the Olympics in the next 10 years. My dream is to represent India and win a medal there." His love for martial arts began in 2016 with taekwondo. But a mismatch in weight -- he weighed only 40kg while the lowest category there was 54kg -- made things difficult for him.

"No matter how hard I tried, I was always at a disadvantage. In pencak silat, I found a fair chance in the under-40kg category. That's when I made the switch in 2019." His breakthrough came in 2022, when he won silver at the Asian Championship in Srinagar, followed by a bronze in Dubai the next year.

Earlier this year, he reached the quarterfinals of the World Championship in Abu Dhabi, narrowly missing a medal, all achieved through crowdfunding.

Despite his packed schedule, Bendre is also pursuing an MA in Psychology from Madhav University in Rajasthan.

"I want to grow in both academics and sports. I also want to become a coach someday and help others like me," he said. PTI TAP TAP AH AH