Real life Dangal in Bengal: Know the story of wrestler Shikha Singh

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Kolkata, March 23: Shikha Singh, a female wrestler from Kolkata is fighting against poverty to live her dreams of becoming a wrestler.

The 17-year old wrestler lives in a colony named Garia, around three and a half kilometres away from Kolkata.

Her father, Sanjay Singh is a milkman in his locality. Her grandfather Bisweswar Singh was a wrestler and Shikha got interested in wrestling when she was in class 9.

As Bisweswar used to dream with Shikha, he trained his granddaughter in a similar fashion Mahavir Phogat used to train his daughters.

Shikha said: “I had to wake up at four in the morning every day. If I had missed sometimes then grandfather was furious.

"Then he asked me to run three kilometres on the roadside up and down and he also moved along with me riding a cycle."

Shikha added: "I do have any training field in my locality. So following grandfather's instruction, I cut the grass beside my home and trained there only.

"Even, I had stopped taking all the spicy food to keep myself fit. I had also been asked not to attend any of my relative and friend's wedding by my grandfather."

But Shikha is so poor that she does not get the exact diet. So, one of the Kolkata-based sports management groups are trying to promote wrestling in Bengal, has decided to come forward by providing a scholarship for Shikha.

The 17-year old girl has already earned the fourth spot in her first national championship, held in Uttar Pradesh after having trained only six months under the West Bengal's former international coach Runu Ghorui. In the state championship also, Shikha is the current champion in her category.

OneIndia News