These judokas are all about girl power

LUDHIANA: “Don’t mess with us girls, or you may be in big trouble!” This is the message, these young judokas from Ludhiana are set to spread.
The energetic bunch from Guru Nanak Girls College has created a new record for their institute with a haul of eight medals, six of them gold, in the recently held inter-college judo tournament in Chandigarh. Not surprisingly, the victory has given a further boost to their confidence.
“I no longer feel scared at the sight of unruly boys passing obscene remarks or abusing a girl in a bus or at a crowded place. Rather, it’s they who should look for cover. Boys don’t mess with us, as they know that we are judo players. And even if someone dares to, we know how to handle them,” says 18 year-old Manisha Sharma, who won two gold medals in different categories.
Manisha, a BA-II student of Guru Nanak Girls College, draws inspiration from her aunt, a former international judo player who is a police inspector now.
In fact, Manisha is not alone while aspiring to pursue various career options.
“I have been training for over eight years. One of my teachers encouraged me to take it up. Judo has given me a lot of confidence and helped me in remain focused while preparing for my civil services exam,” says Suman, an MA-I student.
No wonder an increasing number of young girls are coming forward to learn the martial arts form.
Bavleen, a Class VIII student of Bhartiya Vidya Mandir School, Dugri, is one of the youngest students at the centre. She has won her first gold medal at inter-school state tourney at Guru Nanak Dev Stadium and wants to make it big in the international arena.
Praveen Thakur, one of the judo coaches at the centre, said, “I can notice a sea change in their personality ever since these girls started training. There is an immense growth in their confidence,” he said.
Thakur recalls a number of instances in which young girls confronted unsocial elements and taught them a lesson, winning applause from passersby.
“A youth once started physically abusing one of my students. She was quick to throw him on ground and apply a choke lock, a technique used to pacify the opponent). Later, we called the police and the girl handed over the youth to cops, who were all praise for her,” said Thakur.
He mentions that judo should not be seen as just a sport but a way of improving self-confidence and courage. Judo is a sport adapted from jujitsu (using principles of not resisting) and similar to wrestling; developed in Japan.