Village Once Raised Money for Her Training — Now Pincky Balhara Has Won Her Second Asian Games Medal

Nagoya, Japan — September 29, 2026

Eight years ago, villagers in Neb Sarai, Delhi, came together to help a young athlete pursue her dream. They collected money to send Pincky Balhara to a training camp in Uzbekistan ahead of the 2018 Asian Games.

On September 28, 2026, the 27-year-old returned to the Asian Games podium, winning bronze in the women’s 78kg kurash competition in Nagoya.

A Dream Supported by Her Village

Balhara’s journey in combat sports began with judo. After deciding to pursue the sport while she was in Class 9, her family helped her begin training.

When financial difficulties made international preparation difficult, people from her village stepped in. In 2018, they reportedly pooled 175,000 Indian rupees to help fund her training camp in Uzbekistan.

That support became part of the story behind her breakthrough at the 2018 Asian Games, where she won silver in the women’s 52kg kurash event.

Another Medal After Years of Setbacks

Balhara returned to the Asian Games in 2026 competing in the much heavier 78kg category. Her campaign took a difficult turn when she injured her right knee during her quarterfinal victory over South Korea’s Lim Garam.

Only a few hours later, she returned to the mat for the semifinal. With her knee heavily strapped, she fought South Korea’s Mo Sumin but eventually lost 5-0.

Balhara later said the injury had become extremely painful and that she could barely stand after the bout.

Bronze Came With Mixed Emotions

The semifinal defeat meant Balhara would receive bronze rather than the gold medal she had hoped to win. She broke down emotionally after the competition, while her family celebrated the fact that she had secured another Asian Games medal.

Her mother said gold had remained Balhara’s dream since she first began pursuing judo. Despite the disappointment, Balhara had earned her second Asian Games medal and became one of India’s most successful kurash athletes at the continental Games.

The People Who Never Stopped Supporting Her

Her family and former supporters in Neb Sarai have followed her career through years of victories and setbacks. Her grandmother proudly shows newspaper reports about Balhara to people in her neighborhood, while a poster of the athlete has also been displayed in her village.

For Balhara, the bronze medal is another chapter in a journey that began with a young athlete’s dream and a village willing to help her chase it.

Sources

• Times of India — ‘I could barely stand’: Pincky Balhara battles knee injury to win Asian Games bronze — September 29, 2026.
• Moneycontrol — Delhi village once pooled Rs 1.75 lakh to support her training; 27-year-old now wins second Asian Games medal — September 28, 2026.
• India Today — Pincky Balhara breaks down after Asiad bronze, mother says gold was always the dream — September 28, 2026.