Sabina Kumari Khelo India Youth Games 2025: Sabina Kumari’s story starts in a small place called Chatra in Jharkhand. She didn’t grow up around fancy sports grounds or big stadiums. Her father works as a daily laborer and her mother takes care of the house. But on May 9, 2025, everything changed for the 18-year-old when she won three medals in cycling at the Khelo India Youth Games. It was her first time at the Games, and she did amazing.
She won gold in the girls Keirin and Team Sprint and even picked up a bronze in the 200m Sprint. She felt proud of her hard work and said the Keirin event was the most special for her. Sabina trains at the National Centre of Excellence and has always been focused and determined. She said she wants girls in villages to believe in themselves and work hard, no matter what they dream of doing.
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Journey to Sports
Sabina didn’t plan to become an athlete. In fact, she didn’t even know about sports when her father signed a form in 2017 for a government program by Central Coalfields Ltd. He just wanted her to have a better life. That small step opened a whole new world for her. According to Mint at 12, she joined the JSPS Academy in Ranchi and learned about cycling.
Soon, coach Ram Kapoor Bhatt saw how good she was. He had won many medals in the past and started training her in sprint cycling. Sabina began training with him in 2018 when she was just 13. Things changed fast for her. By 2021, she had already won a gold and bronze at her first national-level competition in Jaipur.
That moment made her believe she could go far in cycling. Even though money was tight at home, her parents supported her dreams. She said the Khelo India Scheme helped her stay in sports and keep moving forward.
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Dreaming of the Olympics
In 2024,Sabina made it big internationally. She was part of the Indian team that won sprint gold at the Asian Championships in Delhi. Now, she trains at the SAI National Centre of Excellence at the Indira Gandhi Stadium. Her coach there is French cycling star Kevin Sireau. Sabina respects him a lot and says he helps her grow as an athlete. Right now, she is also studying for her 12th-grade exams on her own while managing her training.
She wants to represent India at the Olympics and says that’s her biggest dream. She never forgets where she came from and always thanks her coach Ram Sir. She said that cycling is growing in Jharkhand now, and more than 25 kids are training under her coach. She feels lucky that she got the right guidance at the right time. Sabina’s story is full of hope and shows how far belief and hard work can take you.
