With stringent training and home-cooked food, Reetika Hooda looks to conquer her dream at Paris Olympics

Some athletes choose their sports and in a few cases, the sport chooses an athlete. Reetika Hooda, the first Indian woman to qualify for the 76kg heavyweight wrestling category at the Olympics, belongs to the second category.

Reetika knew pretty early on that studies weren’t her calling, but wrestling wasn’t on her radar either.

It was handball.

As a goalkeeper for her school team in Rohtak, she once had an opportunity to play in the nationals, but that possibility changed her life.

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Her father Jagbir Hooda, a retired army personnel, wasn’t keen on her daughter taking up handball in the long term. He suggested wrestling, something that his grandfather did. This was followed by a journey to the Chhotu Ram Stadium in 2015, which gave India its Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik, and the rest is history.

“I was good in handball, was the goalkeeper and there was a chance to play in nationals but my father asked me not to play in a team game. He asked if I can do wrestling and I agreed,” Reetika tells Firstpost. “At the akhara, coach Mandeep asked me to execute a few steps which I did succcesfully and that’s how my journey began.”

Having taken up wrestling by chance, Reetika is now in love with the sport.

“Even in school, I was only interested in sports. In school, I always used to look for panga (challenge),” she says.

“If I had continued studying nobody would have known me but now if you do a Google search you can find me online. Wrestling has given me this name, it’s my life now.”

Reetika, however, competed in the 72kg event, a non-Olympic category, and also won a bronze at the Asian Championships last year before making a move to the Olympic category of 76kg.

The transition has been successful with a gold medal win at the U23 World Championships last year and the Paris 2024 quota at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in April 2024.

Now ready to make history as India’s first-ever representative in the women’s heaviest weight category at the Olympics, Reetika is giving her all on the mat.

“My preparation is going on day and evening. I am taking minimal rest. But I also think about how far I have come,’ Reetika shares. “Districts, nationals, then trials, and then there were reports that trial may happen again, but after crossing all these steps, I have reached the Olympics.”

“We work very hard. It is tiring but I always talk the same with my physio from Reliance Foundation that this is the final step. I need to give my best. Then my dream will true. That keeps me going.”

Reetika is the first ever Under-23 woman wrestling world champion from India. Image: SAI Media

Talking about the specifics, Reetika’s major focus has been on strength and stamina training to be ready for the toughest challenge she has ever faced.

“I have fought the eight wrestlers from the field. But eight of them are new to me. They are experienced in the 76kg category, while this is a new class for me. We’re working on my strength and stamina. I have been working with the Reliance Foundation for a while to remain healthy for the Olympics.”

Jumping from 72kg to 76kg, however, brings its own challenges.

Reetika has a natural weight of 74-75 kg in which case she never had to shed a few kilos earlier and now is required to gain. It’s a constant battle and she was weighing 78kg in the build-up to the Paris Games.

Asked about how challenging it will be for her to lose weight at the Games for the weigh-in, Reetika is super confident as her taste buds are not accustomed to non-Indian food.

“Weigh-in will not be a problem. I am just 78. Whenever I travel it’s very easy to lose weight. Even if I eat a lot in Paris it will not be a problem, as I have always managed to lose weight on time. Also, I rarely like food items that we get outside, so it becomes easy to lose weight,” she says.

What about strength then?

This is where her mother Neelam Hooda comes in.

When Reetika travels outside of the country, she carries home-cooked food and it will be the same in Paris.

“I take my food along with me so that till my bout I have the food of my choice. My mother helps with this. For world championships and in Asian competitions, I carried home-cooked food along with me. I will do the same for the Paris Olympics.”

It seems all bases are covered for the Haryana wrestler. With her mother’s blessing, home-cooked food, and training with physio and coach, Reetika is ready to conquer her dream at the Olympics. She faces Hungaria’s Bernadett Nagy in her pre-quarterfinals bout on Saturday at the Paris Olympics 2024.

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