10 year old boy in Motocross racing!!!!

10-year-old from city blazes a trail in 

Motocross racing 

Swaroopa Konde Deshmukh, the mother of Yuvrajsinh 

Konde Deshmukh, had noticed something unusual about her 

three-year-old son when he first rode a bicycle. At an age 

when parents sweat over teaching basic cycling skills to their 

children, Yuvraj was riding with a remarkable ease and was 

eager to perform stunts. It didn’t take Swaroopa long to 

realise that these traits were hereditary, passed on to him by 

his father Sandeep, an amateur motocross rider who couldn’t 

follow his passion due to the lack of parental support.

Together, Sandeep and Swaroopa took the decision to 

provide Yuvraj with a conducive atmosphere to ensure an 

unhampered progress in the sport. Their efforts are bearing 

fruits now as 10-year-old Yuvraj is now being project as a 

potential world class player by the experts in the game.

Having recently won three prizes at the Ajmera I-land 

Motocross Championship in Mumbai (first in U-10, second in 

foreign class bikes and third in U-14), Yuvraj is now headed 

for Georgia in the US to participate in an international event 

and pursue advanced training. Having secured wins at 

American Motorcyclist Association’s race at Axton in 

Virginia, last year and DMX championship in Dubai earlier 

this year, Yuvraj’s career graph is on a steep rise. His trainer 

for last three years, Rustom Patel, who is the head coach of 

I-Land racing academy and an eight-time national champion, 

says, “Honestly, Yuvraj is the fastest kid I have seen so far. 

He is way more talented than his competitors in skills like 

jumping and body balance, which require a lot of effort, that 

too at such a tender age. Just like born artists, he’s a born 

rider and he knows his trade.”

Before Yuvraj started his professional level coaching under 

US-based player Brad Ripple in 2011, his father was his 

mentor and coach. To encourage his love for stunts, 

Sandeep gifted him an ATV 50 cc bike when he was 6. 

However, he soon realized that his son’s grasping capacity 

demanded training from a skilled professional. “He was so 

particular about his training that he used to wake us up at 

4.30 in the morning to take him to the training ground in 

Lullanagar. I used to feel very proud when people halted to 

see his stunts and applauded for him,” says Swaroopa.

To motivate their son further, the couple imported a KTM 50 

cc bike from Dubai. “He quickly adapted to 65 cc and went to 

win several prizes in the category,” Swaroopa says.

His performances caught the eye of Patel, who 

recommended him to Atul Ajmera, chairman of I-land racing 

academy for sponsorship. Since then, Yuvraj has come first 

in 14 of the 16 international events he has participated in. 

“He has got a high class record in international events. 

Children usually take a lot of time to adapt to international 

standards and conditions. They come in top five after 

several attempts, but this kid is breaking all the stereotypes. 

He just wins the event. Believe me, it’s very tough to 

compete with Russians and Italians as they’ve mastered 

these events for years. But Yuvraj does it all easily. I think in 

future, he’s a serious contender for international 

championship,” says Patel.

Now studying in sixth standard, Yuvraj has also had severe 

injuries, but they don’t keep him away from the sport. “He 

had broken his collarbone a few years ago. As a mother, I 

was worried about his recovery. I told him to quit racing and 

pursue any other sport. But he told me that many champions 

have suffered through falls and injuries, broken their 

tailbones and collarbones and yet succeeded. When he’s 

not training, he watches the videos of bikers to learn their 

tricks. His passion for the sport is mind-boggling. He just has 

one dream, he wants to make India proud,” says Swaroopa.