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Prachi Yadav Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 13, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth29 May 1995

Age28 Years

BirthplaceGwalior, Madhya Pradesh

ProfessionPara canoe athlete

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseManish Kaurav

FamilyFather Jagdish Singh Yadav; mother Chandra Kumari Yadav (d.2003); siblings: one elder brother and elder sister Roshni

Prachi Yadav Biography

Indian para canoeist Prachi Yadav rose from a background in para swimming to become the country’s first paracanoeist to compete at the Paralympic Games. A

Early life and background
Prachi Yadav was born on 29 May 1995 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, and grew up in the central Indian state. She completed a Bachelor of Commerce in 2016 from K.R.G. College in Gwalior and attended Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandir in Mandsaur for her schooling. Her family includes her father, Jagdish Singh Yadav, a retired deputy director in the agriculture department, an elder brother, and an elder sister named Roshni. Her mother, Chandra Kumari Yadav, died in 2003. Prachi’s hometown is listed as Bhopal.

Career
Prachi began her athletic career as a national-level para swimmer before switching to para canoeing in 2018 on the recommendation of her swimming coach, Virender Kumar Dabas. She made her international paracanoe debut at the 2019 ICF World Championships in Germany, where she finished eighth.

Her national results grew quickly. At the 29th National Canoe Sprint & Paracanoe Championships in 2019 she won gold in the KL2 Women category and silver in VL2 Women. She continued to collect medals at successive national championships, earning top positions across the KL2 and VL2 categories in 2020, 2021, 2022 and at the 16th National Paracanoe Championships held in Bhopal. In May 2022 she secured gold in the VL2 Women category at the Asian Canoe Para Qualifiers in Rayong, Thailand, covering the 200-metre race in 1:07.200.

On the world stage Prachi has also made history for India. In 2020 she became the first Indian paracanoeist to qualify for the Summer Paralympics in Tokyo. At the ICF Canoe Sprint & Paracanoe World Cup in Poznan, Poland in 2022 she won a bronze medal in the 200-metre VL2 Women event, finishing that race in 1:04.71. The result marked the first World Cup medal by an Indian canoeist in paracanoe.

Prachi continued to perform strongly in Asia in 2023. At the 3rd Asian Paracanoe Championship in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, she claimed gold in both KL2 Women and VL2 Women over 500 metres, and won a silver in the KL2 200-metre event and gold in the VL2 200-metre event. She also represented India at the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou in October 2023, winning gold in KL2 Women and silver in VL2 Women.

Training and support
Prachi trains in Bhopal, practicing on the Lower Lake under coaches Pijush Kanti Baroi and Mayank Singh Thakur. Early in her paracanoe development she used a boat crafted by Mayank Thakur specifically for Indian para-canoeists. She is part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), which supports elite Indian athletes.

Public profile
Prachi has spoken publicly about the challenges she faced as a para-athlete, describing early barriers from relatives and institutions that doubted her abilities. She cites her physical attribute of long arms as one reason her coach suggested the switch from swimming to paracanoe, a decision that proved successful. Her disability restricts lower-body movement below the waist.

Her competitive record, Paralympic qualification and World Cup medal have raised her profile in Indian para-sport. She received the Vikram Award from the Government of Madhya Pradesh on 29 August 2020 and was honoured with the Arjuna Award on 9 January 2024.

Personal life
Prachi married fellow para canoeist Manish Kaurav on 11 June 2020. She is 1.68 metres tall (5 feet 6 inches), weighs approximately 60 kg (132 lbs), and has black hair and eyes. Her zodiac sign is Gemini.

Latest updates
In 2023 and 2024 Prachi continued to collect continental and national titles while also receiving one of India’s top sporting honours, the Arjuna Award. She remains active in training and posts about her gym routines and preparation on social media.
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Recent Work

ICF Canoe Sprint & Paracanoe World Cup, Poznan

Bronze medal in 200m VL2 Women (time 01:04.71)

2022
3rd Asian Paracanoe Championship, Samarkand

Gold in KL2 and VL2 (500m) and gold/silver in 200m events

2023
4th Asian Para Games, Hangzhou

Gold in KL2 Women and silver in VL2 Women

2023
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Career Highlights

  1. First Indian paracanoeist to qualify for the Summer Paralympics (Tokyo 2020)
  2. Bronze medal at the ICF Canoe Sprint & Paracanoe World Cup, Poznan (2022)
  3. Multiple national titles in KL2 and VL2 categories
  4. Gold and silver medals at Asian championships and Asian Para Games
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Prachi Yadav born?

29 May 1995

What is Prachi Yadav known for?

Para canoe athlete

What is Prachi Yadav’s marital status?

Married

Who is Prachi Yadav married to?

Manish Kaurav