Life often presents unequal opportunities, with some people born into privilege and others into financial hardship. Yet, sports continue to provide many young athletes with a path to improve their lives. One such athlete is Rehaan Sharma, a young judoka from Gurdaspur and the son of a grocery shop owner.Rehaan is carrying forward the legacy of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Centre, where he trains, by helping maintain its record of producing at least one international player every year.This year, he has been selected to represent India in the Junior Asia Cup, slated to be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on June 11 and 12. He was selected by the Judo Federation of India (JFI) based on his performances on the domestic circuit, where he participated in the Khelo India Youth Games (2025) and the Cadet National Championship (2024-25). After gaining much-needed experience in these two events, Rehaan won a gold medal in the DAV National Judo Championships (2025-26) and a bronze medal in the Junior National Championship (2025-26).These two medal-winning performances made him eligible for the Olympian Balbir Singh (Senior) Scholarship of Rs 10,000 per month from the Punjab Sports Department. However, PSD officials claim they have no funds to support the young judoka. This is despite the fact that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is spending crores of rupees on constructing stadiums across the state.Rehaan completed his schooling at an elite convent school in the city. He is now studying in Class 12 at Smt Dhan Devi DAV Public Senior Secondary School.His coach, Ravi Kumar, says, “Rehaan needs exposure if he is to perform well in international tournaments. For this, he must travel to Almaty to participate in the Junior Asia Cup. However, nobody is willing to come forward to finance his trip. He needs at least Rs 1.5 lakh. It is unfortunate that such a prodigious talent may go to waste due to a lack of financial support.”It is a known fact that numerous talented sportspersons like Rehaan Sharma fade into oblivion because of a lack of monetary resources and long-term support. Despite reaching elite levels, many are forced into poverty or menial jobs while they are still competing.Gurdaspur hopes Rehaan Sharma does not suffer the same fate. While cricketers are often well compensated, athletes in other sports, such as judo, are often neglected, leading to stories of national-level winners living in poverty.His coaches say the JFI must finance his trip; otherwise, it risks losing one of its brightest talents.