NEW DELHI: Woman wrestler
Babita Kumari's
Olympics
qualification was no less than a Bollywood script. She had returned home disappointed after failing to make her mark in the first qualifier, but life had different plans. Babita was destined to go to Rio.
The Indian got another opportunity after Mongolian wrestler Sumiya Erdenechimeg failed a dope test in an Asian qualifier. Interestingly, WADA later overruled its decision and allowed Sumiya to compete.
Just 19 days shy of the mega games, the
Commonwealth Games
gold medallist is confident that she will script history by becoming the first
Indian women wrestler
to win a medal at the Olympics.
"The team just returned from Spain and we had the best training camp there. We got to train with Rio-bound wrestlers. Teams from eight to 10 countries were training there," she said.
"Medal leke ayenge (will return with a medal). I have full confidence in myself and the hard work that I have put in all these years," she added.
Rio will be the first time when three Indian women grapplers - Babita, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik - will feature in the Games. In the last competitive tournament (Spanish Grand Prix), Babita (75kg) and her younger sister Vinesh (48kg) lost their pre-quarterfinal bouts while Sakshi Malik (60kg) beat Tunisia's Ela Riebi to win bronze.
Babita is confident that having a dedicated female physio will help them perform better. "It will be a big boost to our medal campaign. We can look up to her if we pull a muscle," she said.
When asked about her qualification, Babita said, "I have been training for Rio for last four years and every time during training we try to put in our best."