Court That Turns Hunger Into Hope

OME victories begin long before the whistle blows. Before the cheers, the medals, the podium—there is a quiet resolve, the strength to rise through an unseen struggle, day after day.

- S SENTHIL KUMAR @Coimbatore

V Subramani, the 23-year-old son of a lorry driver from Coimbatore, knows this well.

Earlier this year, Subramani became the first-ever Kho Kho player from Tamil Nadu to represent the Indian men's team—and helped script a historic win as they defeated Nepal 54-36 to clinch the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup in Delhi. But his proudest achievement isn't the trophy; it's the journey that brought him there—one shaped by grit, hunger, and sacrifice.

Subramani lives with his parents and elder brother in a modest house in SIHS Colony near Ondipudur. His father, S Vadivel, earns ₹500 a day unloading parcels in his lorry across Tamil Nadu and nearby states. His mother, Gandhimathi, works as a daily wage labourer in a private firm. The family's income was just enough to get by—but never enough to support a professional sports career.