New Delhi, June 19 -- Before Kho Kho came into Monika's life, her story was already being written by others. Growing up in a remote village of the Gopalpur block in Bihar's Bhagalpur, her future seemed mapped out by tradition: early marriage, limited education, and a life constrained by circumstance. Her hometown was frequently affected by floods and seasonal calamities, making daily life unpredictable and difficult.

Her parents, Vinod Shah and Juda Devi, made a bold decision to bring the family to Delhi in search of stability and better educational opportunities. They, along with her elder sister, shifted to Delhi in 2006, when Monika was just seven years old.

It was during an athletic meet in her school (MCD School, Shakurpur) that Mo...