Mumbai: National-level Mallakhamb athletes and coaches Ashish Deval and Sanchita Deval were honoured with the ‘Sarvad Star 2026’ state-level award by the Borivali-based Sarvad Foundation for their outstanding contribution to the traditional Indian sport of Mallakhamb.
The Deval couple has spent over 25 years promoting and popularising Mallakhamb through training, coaching and digital outreach initiatives.
They are also the founders of “Mallakhamb Love,” regarded as the world’s first YouTube channel dedicated exclusively to Mallakhamb.
The Sarvad Foundation selected 30 awardees from nearly 380 applications after a detailed screening process. The honours recognised individuals who have made notable contributions in the fields of sports, education, social service, arts and journalism.
The award ceremony was attended by several dignitaries including renowned artist Arun Nalawade, Vidya Vachaspati Dr. Milind Bhosure, Sanskriti Samvardhan Pratishthan founder Mohan Salekar, Suvidya Prasarak Sangh President Mahadev Ranade and Sarvad Foundation Director Dr. Suchita Patil.
For Ashish and Sanchita Deval — who first earned recognition as national-level athletes before establishing themselves as respected coaches — the honour is being viewed as recognition of their long-standing dedication to preserving and expanding the reach of Mallakhamb.
