Nashik: Yogesh Namdev Sonawane, a college student of Maratha Vidya Prasarak Sanstha, represented Maharashtra in the 22nd Mountain Bike Cycling (MTB) Championship underway in Arunachal Pradesh (Rowing) and won three gold medals.
Considered to be extremely tough and challenging, this year's 22nd Senior, Junior and Sub Junior Mountain Bike Cycling (MTB) Championship in India is underway in the state of Arunachal Pradesh at Roing. Athletes selected from Maharashtra have participated in this competition organised by the Arunachal Cycling Association. Yogesh Namdev Sonawane, a student from a tribal family and a resident of Antapur-Taharabad in the Nashik district, has been selected in the under-18 category in this competition.
Yogesh is studying at New English School and Junior College in Taharabad, run by Maratha Vidya Prasarak Samaj Nashik. He has brought fame to Nashik and MVP by winning gold medals in all three categories of time trial, team relay and mass start. Yogesh was selected from Maharashtra in the selection test held in Pune (Alandi) in December. Last year, too, Yogesh had won two medals, silver and bronze, in the same competition. On this strength, he was selected from India for the international competition held in China. Yogesh Sonawane has become the first Maharashtrian athlete to be selected in the under-18 category of the International Mountain Bike Cycling Championship. Yogesh has been guided by his elder brother Bharat Sonawane.
Yogesh's elder brother Bharat Sonawane has also achieved success in the national championship three times in the same sport. But due to the difficult situation at home, Bharat has stopped his own game and taken care of Yogesh. Bharat has bought a bicycle worth 2 lakhs for Yogesh by working for several months in a bicycle shop, taking out public donations and loans. Bharat has also prepared a track in the hills and valleys of the village in line with international competitions for Yogesh to practise on the basis of his experience.
Medals Shining in the Hut
In four years, Yogesh has participated in many competitions and has won hundreds of medals. In the under-16 competition held in Haryana in 2024, Yogesh won gold medals in all three categories – cross country, time trial, and team relay. Last year too, he won two medals – silver and bronze – in the same competition. It seems that there is no place in the hut to keep the valuable medals and certificates that he has earned with great effort, even in the hut. These medals have become the pride of the hut.
“Yogesh has shown that if you have a goal, you can achieve success even in adverse conditions. By winning three gold medals in the National Mountain (Bike) Cycling Championship, Yogesh has added a crown of honour to the crown of MVIPR. Till now, many such athletes from the MVP organisation have reached the stage of the Olympics. Now I am confident that Yogesh will definitely win a gold medal in the upcoming Asian Games.”
- Adv. Nitin Thakare, General Secretary, MVIPR Samaj, Nashik.
