Shift to wrestling mat reaps good harvest for a small time farmer’s daughter in Sangli

Two years ago, Sandip Tanaji, a small-time farmer from Sangli, Maharashtra, abandoned his plans to send her teenage daughter Samrudhi Tanaji to pursue a medical course due to financial constraints after her 12th class board examination.

Samrudhi also achieved a good percentage in her 12th board exams. The Tanaji family had their financial limitations as they only have two acres of agricultural land in Sangli and no other financial resources to send their daughter for a professional academic course.

“She (Samrudhi) stood first in her school in the 10th board examinations,” the father explained. “Since our daughter was hard working and good at studies, we aspired that she become a doctor.”

It was sheer irony that Samrudhi took up wrestling as she followed in her younger brother's footsteps, and has become a role model for young girls in her area. In a short span of three years, she has also won two bronze medals in her weight category at the national level.

At the just concluded Khelo India Youth Games in Bhopal, the teenager from Sangli clinched silver in a thrilling 46kg bout. She lost to Muskan of Haryana in the gold medal match. Samrudhi was disappointed to lose her grip over the gold medal match.

“I made some silly mistakes. It cost me gold medal,” the youngster explained. “In the previous edition of the Khelo India Youth Games held in Haryana, I lost a bronze medal match due to a shoulder niggle.”

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"Pioneer in women’s wrestling in Sangli" - Samrudhi's father

According to the father, when his daughter took up wrestling three years ago, he never thought she would win medals at the national level. The father often travels with her wrestling playing daughter to competitions and it is turning out to be very expensive, but he is enjoying every moment.

“Since we often travel across the country for wrestling competitions with our daughter, it is turning out to be more expensive than the proposed professional medical course we had thought two years ago,” the father said on a lighter note.

Samrudhi’s father accompanied her daughter to Bhopal for the Khelo India Youth Games. The father said her teenage daughter was scouted for the Sports Authority of India (SAI) scheme in Mumbai, but they were reluctant to send her as it might result in young girls not coming to practice anymore in Sangli.

“Samrudhi is pioneer in women’s wrestling in Sangli. Several young girls in the area look forward to her being their role model in sports,” the father explained. “If Samrudhi joins the SAI centre in Mumbai, we anticipate that young girls might not come to practice.”

After Samrudhi started traveling outside Sangli for a wrestling competition, other teenage girls in the area also aspired to follow in her footsteps.

“We have at least 30 young girls who come to practice wrestling in Sangli,” Samrudhi’s father said.

A group of like-minded sports enthusiastic, including Samrudhi’s father run a wrestling akhara in Sangli.

“The facilities are not as good in Sangli as national camps or SAI training centers. We have a small wrestling mat,” Tanaji added. “With the support of friends and family, we make efforts to encourage youngsters to take up wrestling activities in Sangli.”