Kerala youngster makes a mark in Paris World Games

Yoha Gibin, son of former state-level handball player Tima K T, netted five goals in a single game during the tournament

- RONNIE KURIAKOSE

AS a young boy, Yoha Gibin often found himself on the sidelines, watching his mother, Tima K T, sprint across handball courts in Ernakulam. A former player who studied at St Teresa's College, Tima invariably carried the spirit of the sport into her home.

But it didn't catch on with young Yoha right away. "I didn't really care for the game then," he admits to TNIE. This was in part due to his lack of knowledge about handball and how to play it.

Indeed, back then, handball was something his mother played, and something he occasionally observed. That too, never quite with the same curiosity that he afforded to other sports.

But earlier this month, at just 15, Yoha stood under the spotlight in Paris, scoring five goals in a single international handball match, proudly wearing the India jersey.