Every evening, inside a small rented flat in Mumbai, 20-year-old Praveen Gupta moves a few pieces of furniture aside, slips off his shoes so the neighbours won’t complain about the noise, sets a timer for 30 seconds — and begins to jump.

There’s no gym here. No expensive equipment, no coaches watching, no crowd cheering. Just the steady sound of the rope smacking against the floor, as Praveen chases a level of perfection few will ever see.

“I have been playing this sport since childhood, and it is interesting because it is not monotonous. I struggled when I tried to learn new skills, but slowly I was able to pick up the pace and improve,” he says.

In 2024, after years of tireless training, Praveen broke a Guinness World Record: 69 rope crossovers while skipping backwards on one leg in 30 seconds. What’s more, he did it without sponsors, without funding — entirely on his own.

But even that record — a moment that should have brought him into the spotlight — changed little. In India, where jump rope is still seen as little more than a playground pastime, Praveen has spent 13 years showing up, training, and pushing himself in a sport few take seriously. Even after the medals, the records, and the countless hours of practice, he’s still fighting for something most athletes never have to: simple recognition, the chance to be seen, and someone who believes enough to back his dream.

From judo mats to skipping ropes

Praveen never set out to become a jump rope athlete. In school at Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), his early days were spent on judo mats, practising throws and holds. But then, a senior, Manish Kumar, spotted something others hadn’t.

“Manish, who was a regional player, saw potential in me and urged me to take up the sport seriously,” shares Praveen.

He agreed to give it a shot. At his very first trial, he surprised everyone — scoring the highest in school. His talent was impossible to miss. Soon, two of his coaches stepped in to shape that raw ability into skill.

“Sanket sir, a trained skipping coach, taught me the foundations and basics of the sport. Kiran Raja sir focused on building the fitness I needed to perform well,” Praveen explains.

The wins followed — clusters, regionals, nationals. But even as his medal tally grew, breaking into individual national events proved frustratingly difficult. For years, the door remained shut.

Finally, in Class 8, the opportunity came. Praveen was selected to compete at the School Games Federation of India (SGFI) nationals at KIIT University, Bhopal. He didn’t waste it — returning with a silver medal in the individual event and a gold in the team event. It was the turning point that sealed his commitment to the sport.

“I still remember training early in the cold mornings, the 2 km walks for breakfast, and then again to the practice venue. Our coach, Pankaj Shukla sir, was very strict, but the bond with my teammates made everything worthwhile,” he recalls.

“That tournament was the first time I ever cried — not out of sadness, but because of the beautiful friendships and unforgettable memories we created.”

When the system, and a pandemic, stalled his rise

After school, Praveen joined VG Vaze College of Arts and Science, Mulund, under Mumbai University, hoping college life would open up more........

© The Better India