Kishor Prakash Yewale, a 48-year-old resident of Koperkhairane and President of the Indian Pencak Silat Federation, displayed exceptional grit by winning a silver medal at the 20th Senior and 5th Junior World Pencak Silat Championship 2024 held in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Competing after a 13-year hiatus, Yewale overcame a knee ligament injury and missed the gold by just one point in the standing fight event.

With a career in martial arts spanning over four decades, Yewale began training at the age of three and earned a bronze medal at the Singapore Open Championship at 36. His participation in the recent championship aimed to inspire students and junior players to overcome challenges and achieve excellence.

The championship witnessed participation from 1,100 players across 57 countries, including 120 from India. Among them, 15 players from Maharashtra excelled, securing three silver and nine bronze medals. Yewale continues to advocate for Pencak Silat's inclusion in international competitions, with his efforts leading to a 5% government recruitment quota for athletes in 2020. This has created opportunities for players in departments like Income Tax, Customs, GST, and Paramilitary Forces.