Glory To The Nation: Indian Navy Wrestler Reetika Hooda Debuts At Olympics

A name less known often creates a history remembered for years. One such name is Reetika Hooda from Haryana. Hooda is a wrestler in the heavyweight 76kg category and the only Indian woman to qualify in this category for the Paris Olympics. She is known for her historic win at the 2023 U-23 World Championships in Tirana, Albania. She emerged as the country's first-ever female U-23 world champion. 

Reetika Hooda's Journey In The Olympics

In 2023, Hooda made history by being the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in the U-23 World Championship. Later, she participated in the National Games in Goa and defeated former Asian champion Divya Kakran winning a gold medal. 

In her childhood, Hooda was another girl fighting with her sibling, creating a nuisance and going to school. But things took a turn when her family members started observing the wrestler inside her wanting to bloom. 

Hooda's great-grandfather was known as 'Balu pehelwan', a giant among men, and the spirit of strength and competition was always in her blood. Hooda's Army-officer father helped her gain momentum and understand what she really wanted to do. 

When her family members realised her potential to be a wrestler, they got her admitted into Chhotu Ram Stadium, run by Mandeep which had produced medalists like Sakshi Malik. However, in the akhara, there were not many girls. So Hoods used to compete with men. 

Hooda was determined towards her training. She was also the last one to leave the stadium until she felt satisfied by the training. 

Hooda's first stint at State level championship

After eight months of training, Reetika Hooda made her first stint by winning the gold medal in the State School Championship. Since then there has been no turning back. 

Within two years of joining the akhara, Hooda had won many accolades in her age-group championship. She won her first national cadet in her age group in 2017. However, she had to wait for years to play and win at the senior level. 

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Hooda doesn't believe in losing weight for wrestling

For many years, Hooda wrestled under the 72kg category before moving to 76kg in the upcoming Olympics. Hooda doesn't buy the idea of losing weight to fight in the category of weight less than one walks with.

It would be another inspirational tale from Haryana to watch Hooda compete at the Paris Games and bring glory to the nation, with or without the medal.