Alandi's Ankita in Indian women's wrestling team

ALANDI: Fifteen-year-old Ankita Gund, a std X student from Alandi, about 25 km from Pune, has made it to the Indian women's wrestling team that will participate in the Asian Cadet Wrestling Championship to be held at Bangkok from August 4 to 7.
Ankita, who practices wrestling at Alandi's Jog Maharaj Vyayamshala, is the only girl from Maharashtra who has found a place in the Indian team in the 38 kg category.
A student of class X at Sayajinath Maharaj Vidyalaya in Vadmukhwadi near Alandi, Ankita is a four time gold medalist in the school level national championship. Last year, she won the bronze medal at sub-junior national wrestling championship held in Kanyakumari.
"I joined the selection camp at Lucknow last week where around 300 girls from different states were invited by the sports ministry for the Asian games selection. There were five to six matches between girls from different states and I won all of them and was selected in the team", Ankita says on phone from Lucknow.
"I was a little nervous when the selection was on, because my first round match was with Poonam from West Bengal who is a top national champion. But, I defeated her and that improved my confidence and I won my second round match with Swapanali who is from Uttar Pradesh. After that I won two more rounds and the final round with UP's national champion Parul", she recalls.
Ankita says she took up wrestling after watching her grandfather and father slugging it out in the courtyard. "When I turned eight, I wrestled with my father and siblings. Wrestling for about one hour every morning was like a daily breakfast," she adds.
Her father Dinesh Gund is an international wrestling referee and founder of Jog Maharaj Vyayamshala. He encourages her and also other girls to participate in wrestling competitions. "He has worked hard to keep the traditional way of wrestling alive," says Ankita.
Talking about his daughter's selection, Gund says, "We are very happy to hear that Ankita has been selected for the Asian championship and hope that she will become a winner for the country", he says. Ankita has also qualified for the selection camp for the Olympics 2012.
'Akhara' exclusively for girls
Alandi: It is only 5 am and 18-year-old Shamika Kator is all set to start her practice, when girls her age are still fast asleep. She is not the only one, about 40-odd girls at the Jog Maharaj Vyayamshala (Akhara), too, have ready to train under the guidance of Gund.
The training that starts at 5 am lasts for three hours. The same schedule is followed in the evening between 5 pm and 8 pm. Once her morning training is over, Shamika goes back to her daily routine and books, as she is in her first year bachelor of arts from the Sayajinath Maharaj Vidyalaya, Vadmukhwadi near Alandi.
"My aim is to become a professional wrestler. I have my parents' support. They live in Raigad district but they have allowed me to stay at the training centre here. This has ensured that I follow a strict regime and never miss my training," says Shamika.
Manisha Divekar from Daund taluka says, "It was my father, a pioneer in this field, who introduced my brother and I to wrestling. When my father decided to train me in wrestling and send me to Alandi, he faced a lot of opposition since wrestling is considered a man's sport. But he never gave up and made sure his daughter underwent rigorous training, just like his son. I won the gold medal at national level school championship due to his efforts," says Manisha.
Swati Jadhav, another wrestler, says, "This wrestling centre has not only promoted the sporting culture, but also honed the skills of wrestlers known for their exploits in the national and international arena".
What makes this wrestling training centre unique is the fact that it is the only centre in Maharashtra to cater exclusively to girls.
Gund, an international referee in wrestling, founded this residential centre in 2004. At present, the centre has 90 students -- 42 girls and 50 boys.