By Manjunath K. Shresthi
April 04, 2026
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Juje Jackie Harnodkar Siddi, a native of Wada born in 1972, at a remote village in Haliyal taluk’s Uttara Kannada (UK) district, northwest Karnataka. Wada village cut off from civilization and surrounded by thick forests of the western ghats. His father worked as a daily wage labourer, and Juje knew about struggles early in life. As everyday life was difficult in the village, he was sent to nearby Yellapur, where he completed his primary education from standard 1 st -7 th , and from Std 8 th -10 th at St. Joseph’s college, Bengaluru. He studied Commerce up to PUC II nd year at the Al Ameen College, near Lalbagh, Bengaluru. And since his growing up years he also played sports like Kho-Kho, running and other games and would later distinguish himself as an athlete.
The Government of India (GoI) in 1986-87 initiated the Special Area Games (SAG) for the Adivasi children. Juje got selected under the sports quota in the second batch in 1989 in 400 metres hurdles. For two months he was sent to a training camp at New Delhi along with other Siddi boys and girls. He stayed in a sports hostel in the SAG branch under the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
All the chosen boys and girls had to follow a daily training regimen, and training began early morning from (05 ) five up to (08) eight AM. Breakfast consisted of bread, dalia, omlet, eggs and fruits. And the menu changed every day. They had to attend school daily by nine AM. Their lunch had chicken, fish, mutton and salads for all the tribals. The dinner had all healthy foods. The students rested from 4-5 PM followed by training from 5 7 PM. The coaches started conditioning them for all sports to develop fitness and it included running. Post training, he continued struggling and held a state record in running under 57 seconds, and stood first in Mysuru in the Under 22 junior state selection category. In 1993, he joined the Karnataka State Police Department, and began his first job as a police constable. At the All India Police Games held in 1994-95, he stood sixth. In 1998, Juje got a trials letter from Employee Provident Fund (EPF) that’s when he decided to leave the police job and went to Mumbai the same year. He began his career as a lower division clerk (LDC). People in Mumbai were cooperative and he faced no discrimination.
Juje in June 2024, met with a severe accident in a hit-and-run case. His pelvis, backbone and internal organs were badly damaged and there are many screws fitted in his body. He was admitted to the Raheja hospital and spent Rs. eight plus lakhs from his own pocket and was bedridden for a long time. On his personal front he’s married to Juliana and has two children a boy and a girl. He’s a versatile person as he started acting since 2000 along with his job to supplement his family income. He stands out from the rest of his Siddi’ community, as he’ has long hair (Rastafarian locks) and wears a bandanna. He has acted in TV commercials (TVCs), done small roles on TV and in films. Juje also does sports consultancy in Mumbai and coaches youngsters @ Priyadarshini Park. According to him, the ideal age to start basic sports training should be from 6-14 years.
Juje’s Future Plans: he believes that talent in sports should be nurtured since a tender young age, when kids are seven-eight- years-old. He would like to start a sports academy open to all and coach future athletes. A talent incubation centre should be built using the latest technologies. And every parent has to find which of their children has special talent, and then they should be nurtured accordingly.
