Gymnast Ashish walks the mat again, now as talent scout at KIYG

"I don't feel shy competing with 15 to 18-year-olds. I enjoy it," says Ashish Kumar, India's most decorated gymnast, who now takes on a new role—identifying the country's next generation of champions at the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG).

- Sharad Deep

LUCKNOW:

The 34-year-old, who created history by winning India's first-ever gymnastics medals at the Commonwealth and Asian Games in 2010, is now mentoring young athletes from the sidelines of the ongoing KIYG gymnastics events at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.

Come December, Kumar will complete 22 years in the sport, a journey that began in Prayagraj (then Allahabad) and led to 111 medals, including 81 at the international level. Now, for the first time, he's attending a major event not as a participant, but as a talent scout.