An AKHARA for Women in Pochanpur Village
REJIMON C K
Where women wrestle for glory
An akhara in Pochanpur village in Dwarka that caters exclusively to girls
It is 4.30 in the morning and Sapna is all set to start her practice. Children of their age group may still be fast asleep, but 20-odd girls have already assembled at Shyam Mandir amphitheatre in Pochanpur village, located at one end of Dwarka, to train under Vinod Rathi. The training starts sharp at 5 am. and lasts till 8. The same schedule is followed in the evening between 5 and 8 pm. Once her morning training is over, Sapna goes back to her daily routine and books — she is pursuing Class X through the National Open School.
“My aim is to become a professional wrestler. I have my parents’ support. While they live near Mori Gate, they have allowed me to stay at the training centre here. This has ensured that I follow a strict regime and never miss my training,” says Sapna.
What makes this wrestling training centre, or akhara, unique is the fact that it is the first in the city to cater exclusively to girls and women. An initiative of Deepika Kaliraman, president and founder of All India Women’s Wrestling Association, the akhara, which was inaugurated on April 23 and started its training programme on June 1, is open to boys as well, but the focus is certainly on women.
Deepika, herself a former wrestler and winner of the Bharat Kumari title, is the daughter of legendary wrestling champion Guru Chandgiram, who was a pioneer in this field, having introduced all his three daughters to wrestling. In fact, his akhara near Majnu ka Tila was the first to train women wrestlers.
“When my father decided to train girls in wrestling and send them to compete in various events, he faced a lot of opposition. But he never gave up and made sure his daughters underwent a rigorous training just like his son. Now, opening a wrestling training centre exclusively for girls is my tribute to his efforts,” says Deepika, who had to leave professional wrestling after a spinal injury.
Adds Rathi, the chief coach, “We aim to send our girls to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games to be held at Rio de Janeiro. Indian women wrestlers had created a record of sorts at the Commonwealth Games last year, and they are an inspiration for these girls.”
On her choice of a village adjacent to Dwarka for the akhara, Deepika says, “It’s an ideal location. Nowhere in the city will you find a place, which is so peaceful despite being so close to urban amenities.” She adds that many of the girls who have come from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have been provided accommodation at the centre.
Her effort has gained support from the Pochanpur Yuva Samiti. President of the Samiti Ravijeet Sehrawat says that some girls from the village, too, have joined the akhara. “Besides, we have arranged for accommodation for those who have come here from villages outside Delhi. The gram panchayat and the Yuva Samiti have also been encouraging local girls to join the wrestling training centre,” he says.
It may too early to speculate the results, but the girls at Pochanpur seem all set to grapple for glory.
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REJIMON C K.
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RAJEEV SOLANKI
rajiv solanki
Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:59:14 +0530
Subject: [DWARKA FORUM] An AKHARA for Women in Pochanpur Village
From: reji...@gmail.com
To: DWARKA-R...@googlegroups.com
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