Things are not going to change until Indian women, and their parents, stop being afraid of what society will say. This is the single biggest obstacle. The fear of what people will say and how this will shame their parents means that women are paralysed.
My first gold was in the 2002 cadet national. I realized I was good enough even outside my village and my district.
My father was a disciplinarian. He had this cane and he would spare no one if found at fault. Unlike Babita, I was not physically strong and couldn't cope with the training. So I got the most beatings.
I used to watch Babita and Vinesh win medals. I was happy for my sisters but at the same time I felt bad for not being a part of the contingent.
I have seen my father defying societal norms and investing his time and energy on us. He was ridiculed and criticised by the community for asking girls to seek a career in wrestling. But he had vision and was least worried when elders warned him his daughters would not find grooms. I had to wrestle for him and that motivated me tremendously.
The problem of burgeoning population can be addressed if we begin with women itself. And, we need to educate them and spread awareness about birth control and family planning through TV channels and newspapers.
We see the worth and appreciate the discipline my father inculcated in us.
It was my father's passion actually. I had never wished to become a wrestler. I was 12 when my father initiated me into this sport. Gradually, I started liking it and then it became my passion too.
Inner strength is very important.
Women sportspersons like Krishna Poonia and Seema Antil are role models for Haryanvi women.
We have won laurels for the country in wrestling but still, in spite of winning medals, not many people recognised us.
We did not had enough facilities in the village. My family was also not well off. There was no mat, no gym; we used to wrestle in the mud. It was very different from the national camps where I trained before the Commonwealth Games.
My only aim is to win an Olympic medal.
Wrestling is different from other sports. It is not just about physical strength. It is more of a mind game as during matches we have to read the mind of opponents and outwit them.
You should concentrate on the segregation of waste, especially kitchen waste. Only after segregation the waste becomes useful and it can be recycled.
My father, once he has decided on something, doesn't care about what anyone else thinks. All the men in our family swore at him for training us. His parents said he was mad. But he didn't listen.
Our parents faced more hardship than us. They didn't stop us from training despite hearing the taunts from the people in the village. We were fortunate to have parents like them.
I want to settle down and start an academy in a rural area, because I feel that's where most champions come from. If you have everything in life, why would you wake up at 3:30 A.M. to train? I feel there's a lot of talent that goes untapped there, especially in women sports.
