The Tokyo Olympic postponement to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic had sent many wrestlers into a tailspin. But contrary to others it came as a blessing in disguise for India’s Pinki. She believes that it has now given her time to get more experience in the 57kg weight class.
Pinki has decided to move to 57kg weight class from her usual 53kg to compete at the Olympics. The reason for it is her body mass composition. Just like many wrestlers, she too had a tough time to maintain a weight which was less than her usual body composition. “It was tough for me to stay in 53kg weight class. My weight is normally around 57kg to 60kg, and therefore I will compete in 57kg which is Olympic weight category,” she says.
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New Challenge for Anshu
Anshu Malik is currently India’s best wrestler in the 57kg women’s wrestling. The 18-year-old made her senior debut at the Rome Ranking Series in January where she won a gold medal. A month later at the Asian Championship, the youngster bagged a bronze medal.
Pinki, on the other hand, had competed in the 55kg (non-Olympic) at the Asian Championship. The 23-year-old had secured gold medal after beating Mongolia’s Dulguun Bolormaa. She is now preparing to throw the hat in fray for the Olympic berth.
“In previous encounters, I struggled to make my mark due to the lack of experience in a higher weight class. But now the time is my biggest ally,” she told WrestlingTV.
Anshu is not the only hurdle, Pinki has to worry about. Other big shots of this category are Asian Champion Sarita Mor, and world medallist Pooja Dhanda. But Pinki is confident in her training to overcome these challenges.
“Since I train with them, I know how they wrestle and what are their weaknesses”.
How things stand for Pinki now?
Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) is yet to announce the date of the trials. WFI Assistant Secretary Vinod Tomar had earlier said that they will give everyone a chance as there is still time for the Olympics to be held.
Pinki was named for the Olympic camp which the Indian governing body will organise at the SAI centre after lockdown ends. Until then, she is training with a senior wrestler Deepak Rana in Rohtak. “He is like my brother and he stays with us only. So he is helping me train until I return to the camp,” she concluded.
