As to how this transformation came to be, the youngster, a Class 10 student of Sacred Heart (SH) School in Thevara, credits his days training under his mother. “My twin sister and I used to spend our evenings learning the game from her. She taught us the basics and more,” Yoha says.

This foundation was further bolstered at the SH’s Handball Academy, considered the epicentre of India’s handball ambitions. Indeed, under coach Antony Mathai, Yoha started practising even more seriously.

“I trained twice a day. Mornings and evenings. These sessions, usually with seniors of SH’s college team, who have represented both the state and country in handball tournaments, greatly elevated my game,” Yoha says.

Indeed, Antony, the coach, says as much. He tells TNIE, “Yoha is a very strong player. Having trained under his mother, an established handball player, he has strong foundations in the game and is therefore able to pick up on tactics and play styles quite easily. He has demonstrated his capabilities already — for the school, the district and the state.”