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Wrestling: His father works at a car-parking, Suraj Kant dreams of donning India shirts

Wrestler Suraj Kant's father Jwala Kant Tiwari was a popular wrestler. He migrated from Gorakhpur Uttar Pradesh to West Bengal, around 40 years back.

By Sujata Sarkar
Wrestling: His father works at a car-parking, Suraj Kant dreams of donning India shirts

Kolkata, Dec 19: Suraj Kant's father Jwala Kant Tiwari was a popular wrestler in his days. But he migrated from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh to West Bengal around 40 years back.

Living in Burabazar area of Kolkata, Jwala Kant himself introduced an akhara to start wrestling in Kolkata. His son Suraj learnt wrestling at the same akhara under the watchful eyes of his father from the age of five.

Suraj, the 21-year-old wrestler, has won gold medals at the state wrestling championships for several years in his weight category 55 kg. However, at the national level, he has not yet been able to steal attention by winning any medal.

He is aware of this reality and explained, “It is tough for anyone to perform at the national level unless he or she gets the proper infrastructure for training, diet or other modern facilities which help the wrestler to improve playing standard.”

Suraj has also been watching his father since childhood. Jwala, now 57, works at a car-parking zone in his locality. Wrestling has not given him financial satisfaction. Still, Suraj does not want to quit wrestling.

He said, “Sometimes I become so frustrated that I almost decided to quit wrestling and resume my studies. I will at least get some job. I have a brother along with the mother. Father has to struggle every day even at this age. It is during these moments of frustration, I think of my father. Despite all the hardships, he always keeps inspiring me and sets my goals to help me don India shirts one day. It is his dream.”

In a bid to fulfil his dream, Suraj has even been strictly banned from taking part in their village wrestling championships in Uttar Pradesh.

He clarified, “Once a couple of years ago, I won a village wrestling championship in our village in Gorakhpur and won Rs 20,000 prize money along with it. But after returning home I was reprimanded strongly by father from that day he instructed me not take part in village championship anymore so that I lose my focus.”

Story first published: Tuesday, December 19, 2017, 15:48 [IST]
Other articles published on Dec 19, 2017