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Wrestling: Pooja Dhanda creates sensation by defeating current World Champion Helen Maroulis in PWL

A new kid on the block in Indian wrestling is Pooja Dhanda who created a sensation by defeating current World Champion Helen Maroulis.

By Sujata Sarkar
Wrestling: Pooja Dhanda creates sensation by defeating current World Champion Helen Maroulis

New Delhi, Jan 23: Pooja Dhanda is a new kid on the block in Indian wrestling fraternity. Pooja created sensation last week in the ongoing Pro-Wrestling League by trouncing current World Champion as well as the gold medal winner in the Rio Olympics Helen Maroulis of the USA in 57 kg category.

Pooja’s brilliant show guided Punjab Royals to an exciting 4-3 victory over Haryana Hammers in the seven-bout duel. The 24-year old wrestler stunned silver medalist in the last World Championship in her next bout in the league on Monday (January 22).

Pooja has not yet found a place in the national team for Olympics. It has been her sole dream to represent India and win a medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The wrestler from Hissar in Haryana also believes she will be able to fulfil her dream as she gets the constant inspiration from her father Ajmer Singh Dhanda.

Pooja told MyKhel over phone on Monday, “My father was a marathon runner. He used to take part in 25 kilometre-long runs in Haryana, Delhi and Mumbai. Every morning he used to go for running through the fields and he used to forcibly take me along, this way I got the habit of working hard from an early age. Once he took me to the stadium in Hissar where I watched players of several disciplines practising.

"Gradually I became fascinated towards wrestling after watching the boys training under renowned coach Subhas Chandra Soni. After noticing that I was falling in love with wrestling my father admitted me there at the age of 12."

Still, in spite of her father’s constant inspiration to bring her career as a wrestler, it was not easy for Pooja in her days.

The wrestler who clinched a silver in 2010 Youth Olympics Games, described, “Initially, we had to face a lot of social obstruction from our neighbours and relatives in our village. But only due to my parents' resistance I overcame all the social hurdles.”

Pooja refused offers from Bollywood star Aamir Khan when he was making the movie Dangal. Pooja revealed, “Mr Aamir Khan requested me to essay the character of Babita Phogat. But I decided to establish my career rather than working in a movie. Now I feel, I didn't make the wrong decision.”

Story first published: Tuesday, January 23, 2018, 15:24 [IST]
Other articles published on Jan 23, 2018