World is not enough for Punia

Ravinder Saini

A silver medal at the World Championships, the world No. 1 tag, a gold medal at the cadet and junior World Championships... If a wrestler were to retire with these accomplishments, he would do so happily, without any regrets. Deepak Punia, though, has just started out — this Haryana wrestler is just 20 years old and has been crowned world No. 1 in the 86kg category following his silver-medal finish at the World Championships in Kazakhstan last month. This strong and sturdy wrestler has taken the wrestling world by storm. For Deepak, though, winning medals and accolades is par for the course, something he has been doing since not too long after he was born. 

Deepak was just six when he won his first open dangal in 2006 at his native village, Chhara, in Jhajjar district, during an annual fair organised a few days before Holi. And in his very first triumph, it became clear to his father, Subhash Punia, that his son was gifted and had the potential to go a long way. “He tossed and trounced wrestlers much older and heavier than him to win his first dangal,” says Subhash, who’s a milkman by profession. “I got convinced that he had the potential to become an international wrestler.”

It wasn’t an observation of a doting father who sees the promise and potential of his children through a magnifying glass. It was a prediction coming from a man who knew what wrestling is all about and what it takes to become a champion wrestler —  Punia senior had also nursed a dream of becoming a top-notch wrestler but his circumstances didn’t allow him to pursue his desire. Subhash’s father was a marginal farmer and didn’t have the resources to provide good diet and training to his son.

Deepak Punia (Wrestler)

Age: 20, Hometown: Jhajjar
Achievements 
World No. 1 in the 86kg weight category 
A silver-medallist at the wrestling World Championships, 2019. He’s the youngest Indian wrestler to make the final at Worlds. 
Gold medallist at the junior World Championships, 2019  
Gold medallist at the cadet World Championships, 2016

So when Deepak showed spark at a tender age, he was quick to spot it and realise that he could fulfil his unfulfilled dream through his son. And soon, he started taking Deepak, who was barely five then, to the akharas. “I would take him along to the akharas where I use to supply milk to the wrestlers early in the morning,” says Subhash. “The exposure made him even more interested in the sport. Soon, he joined one of these akharas to pick up the basics of the sport. He was the youngest at the akhara, and practised with boys four to five years older than him. Yet, he managed well, thanks to his robust health and healthy diet.” Like all wrestlers worth their salt, Deepak loves desi ghee. “He is fond of churma of desi ghee, that’s his favourite dish. Every time he comes home, that’s the first thing he wants to eat,” says Deepak’s mother, Krishna. 

Journey begins 

Within a few months of joining the akhara, Deepak was so much in love with the sport that he wanted to be at the akhara all the time. He would force his father to wake up at 4am and drop him at the akhara. Seeing his love and dedication for the sports — and perhaps to save himself from everyday early morning torture! — Subhash arranged an accomodation for Deepak at the akhara. The decision went a long way in making Deepak the wrestler he is today. He stayed and practised at the akhara until he turned 15, going from strength to strength. During his stay here, he won several open dangals and also became Bal Kumar, a big honour for a young wrestler. 

In 2015, Deepak went to Delhi to participate in the National School Games, where he clinched gold by winning all his bouts quite easily. Satpal Singh, a famous wrestler who has been conferred with the Arjuna and Dronacharya Awards, was so impressed that he asked Deepak’s father and coach Virendra pahalwan to send him to Delhi’s famous Chhatrasal Stadium for advanced training. “Satpal recognised Deepak’s talent and potential at first sight. Upon his insistence, we sent Deepak to Chhatrasal Stadium. And just a year later, in 2016, he won gold at the world Cadet Championships in Tbilisi (Georgia) and has never looked back,” says Subhash. Three years later, he clinched gold in junior World Championships in Trnava in Slovakia. And last month, he missed a gold in the senior World Championships by a whisker when he pulled out of the final bout because of an ill-timed injury. 

Praise everywhere

For all those who have known Deepak since his childhood, his success doesn’t come as a surprise. Sagar, who used to practise with Deepak in the village akharas, recalls Deepak had to be dragged off the wrestling mats after every session. “We used to have two-hour session in the morning and evening, but Deepak would not stop. He would put in an extra hour after every training session,” says Sagar. “He was always focussed, full of questions and would pester senior wrestlers and coaches for suggestions and answers. His curiosity and his work ethic made him different from all others, and helped him attain so much success at such a young age.”