New Delhi, Jan. 9 -- In the tribal heartlands of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, where sport has long been overshadowed by the struggle for daily survival, Mallakhamb is quietly scripting a story of transformation. Once practised in open fields and farmlands, the traditional Indian sports discipline has today become a vehicle of confidence, aspiration and social change for children from some of the most resource-constrained communities in the region.

At the centre of this movement is Mallakhamb coach Shubham Mair, who arrived from Maharashtra's Nashik district in 2019-20 and was appointed by the Khanvel Gram Panchayat on contract basis. Shubham is working as a head coach at the Mallakhamb Academy located in Shelti village of Kh...