Rohtak stadium a nursery of wrestlers

Sunit Dhawan

Chhotu Ram Stadium, located on the Sonepat Road near Sheila Bypass Chowk in Rohtak town, has emerged as a nursery of national and international wrestlers in recent years. This is when it has no gymnasium and offers only basic facilities such as a hall, mats and a rope. Wrestlers have to train at private gymnasiums by paying from their pockets. 

The stadium has produced wrestlers who have made their presence felt in prestigious global sporting events such as the Olympics, Asian Championships, Commonwealth Championships and SAF Games, besides excelling in various national, state and inter-university competitions. 

The credit for the phenomenal achievements of  the wrestlers goes to their commitment towards the sport and dedicated training under  coach Mandeep.

“There is great enthusiasm for wrestling among local youths, especially girls,” says Mandeep, who has been training budding wrestlers at the stadium since 2010. As of now, more than 100 wrestlers, including around 50 girls, are undergoing training there. 

International wrestler Sakshi Malik is also a product of the stadium. She won a bronze medal in wrestling at the Rio Olympics in 2016, a silver medal in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 and a bronze medal in the Doha Senior Asian Championship in 2015.

“The stadium has only basic facilities. We do not have a gymnasium here and have to train at private gyms that some of us cannot afford. Trainees will do much better if there is a gym and proper infrastructure,” says Nikki, a freestyle wrestler in the 75-kg category, who has been training with Sakshi at the stadium. She won the gold medal in the 12th SAF Games-2016 and a bronze medal in the Singapore Commonwealth Championships in 2016.

Nikki’s views are endorsed by international wrestlers Tina and Mansi, who have been training at the stadium for the past four or five years. They also attribute their success to coach Mandeep.

Ritu Malik bagged the gold medal in the Commonwealth Championships in 2017 and a bronze medal in the Junior Asian Wrestling Championship in 2012. She also won the gold medal in the National Games held in Kerala in 2015.

Deepak won the gold medal in the Singapore Commonwealth Championships in 2016 and bronze medals in the Junior Asian Championship in 2012 and the Commonwealth Championship in 2013.

Pinki Malik won gold medals in the Singapore Commonwealth Championships and the Senior National Championship in 2016. She also bagged the silver medal at the Junior Asian Championship held in Manila in 2016. Rekha Rani won the silver medal in the Commonwealth Championships held in South Africa in 2013 and the gold medal in the All-India Federation Cup-2012.

Bhim won bronze medals in the Junior Asian Championships in 2011 and 2012 and the gold medal in the Senior Wrestling Championship in 2012. Reena won the silver medal in the Cadet Asian Championship held in New Delhi in 2015. 

Pooja Gehlot won the gold medal in the Junior Asian Championship in 2017. Tina Malik bagged the gold medal in the Sub-Junior Asian Championship and the bronze medal in the Cadet Asian Wrestling Championship held in Taiwan in 2017. Mansi got the silver medal in the Sub-Junior Asian Chamionship-2018. Annu, Jyoti, Neetu, Shiksha, Sudesh and Rakhi have also made a mark at various international and national wrestling events.

“Our trainees Ritu Malik and Pinki have been selected for the Senior World Championship to be organised in Hungary; Pinki Malik for the Asian Games to be held in Indonesia and Tina Malik, Mansi and Malkit Hooda for the Junior Asian Championships to be held in Delhi,” says Mandeep.

Director (Sports and Youth Affairs) Bhupinder Singh says that wrestlers from the Rohtak stadium are doing very well at the national and international events and the state government is committed to facilitating sportspersons and working for their betterment.