Gujarat’s First Female Wrestler at U23 World Wrestling Championships Faces Mat in Worn-Out Shoes

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When 21-year-old Bhavika Patel steps onto the mat for the U23 World Wrestling Championships 2024 in Tirana, Albania, from October 21 to 27, she will be making history as the first female wrestler from Gujarat to earn this honour.

Bhavika's focus is now on staying fit for the competition in Albania, but she faces a challenge beyond fitness: Her worn-out wrestling shoes. "I don't have Rs 10,000 to purchase a new pair of wrestling shoes online," she told myKhel. "If I can arrange the funds this week, I'll get a new pair. Otherwise, I'll compete at the World U23 in my old, worn-out shoes."

Bhavika Patel secured her spot by winning the women's 55kg freestyle event at the United World Wrestling Talent Search, held last weekend in Narnaul, Haryana. The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) used the event to select the national team for the upcoming Albania competition, with October 7 being the final deadline for submitting entries to United World Wrestling, the sport's global governing body.

Despite the odds, Bhavika was excited to make the national team, sharing that her hard work paid off. "I missed the Asian U23 team recently because I lost in the final round," Bhavika said. "I'm happy that I've secured a place for the World U23 meet."

The second of five siblings, Bhavika comes from a modest background in Ahmedabad, where her father, a small-time vendor, was a wrestler. She has been training in freestyle wrestling for the past five years, a path inspired by her father's passion for the sport.

In 2017, Bhavika joined a state-run academy in Nadiad, where she found better facilities to hone her skills. "We have good facilities at the academy," Bhavika explained. The academy also appointed Ramesh Kumar, a coach from Haryana, to train female wrestlers. Currently, around 15 female wrestlers, including Bhavika, train regularly at the academy.

Over the years, Bhavika has won several national-level medals, including a bronze at the 2023 National Games in Goa, and also competed in an international event in Iran in 2022. However, despite her achievements, she has not secured a sports quota job in either state or central government, leaving her in financial distress. "We need three to four pairs of wrestling shoes a year, and each pair costs around Rs 8,000 to 10,000," she shared. "Sometimes, I even have to borrow money to buy shoes."

Despite the challenges, Bhavika is optimistic about her future and believes a podium finish in Albania will open doors for her. "I think I need to win big competitions to impress people," she added.

As Bhavika Patel prepares to step onto the mat at the World U23 Wrestling Championships, her story extends far beyond her shoes. In many ways, they symbolise the hurdles she's had to navigate on and off the mat. Whether she competes in worn-out shoes or brand-new ones, Bhavika's journey represents something more enduring: The grit of an athlete unwilling to let circumstances dictate her ambitions.