Yashaswini enjoying her success on court

focus on sports talent

The path gets a lot easier when you have the backing of parents in your pursuit. Yashaswini MK, who captained Karnataka girls' to the bronze medal at the recently concluded Sub-Junior National basketball tournament in Cuttack, has had to endure the absence of that support.

Like any other family, Yashaswini's parents wanted their daughter to focus on studies. Another worry was the constant travel to other cities for competitions that are required of a sportsperson. It appeared as if the young hoopster wouldn't get her chance to blossom.

"Initially, they weren’t keen on me playing the game," said Yashaswini, a student of DYES Sports Hostel, Mandya. "They felt it wasn’t a good idea for me to prioritise sports at a young age."

That setback didn't deter Yashaswini as she continued to participate in various sporting activities. On one such occasion, she was spotted by basketball coach Bharath Raj CB, who noticed her height - 5' 4'', unusual for a then 11-year-old and suggested her to try basketball.

"I was interested in sports a lot. I participated in many games but looking at my height, my coaches felt I should try basketball. I got hooked on to it," Yashaswini recalled.

But the coach still had a herculean task of persuading Yashaswini's father Krishna M H and mother Kanyakumari to let her play. "Convincing her parents was the toughest part. We had to tell them that we will support her like a family and give her good facilities at the hostel," said Bharath.

There was no looking back for Yashaswini from then on. The 14-year-old, who trains four hours a day, made good progress and represented the State at the Sub-junior nationals last year in Kangra. "I learnt the basics from Bharath sir. As I started playing matches, I became more confident. I also trained under Girish sir, who was very encouraging," said Yashaswini.

A year later, she was made the captain of the Karnataka side. "It was a great feeling to lead the side. My team-mates supported me a lot. Coaches were very supportive too. Initially, I was worried how to lead the side and manage the players. But my team-mates responded well to make my task easy," the forward remarked.

Karnataka girls saw off Delhi in the 3rd/4th place to secure the bronze. "We were happy, we beat Delhi to clinch the bronze. The team coordination was good and our defence did a fine job," she said.

Yashaswini draws inspiration from another Mandya hoopster Bhandavya H M, an India International, currently in the camp for the FIBA Women's Asia Cup here.