Reetika Hooda is not one to fret over draws before her competitions. The fearless 22-year-old believes that to achieve something significant on the mat, one needs to beat the best in the world. It’s the mantra of India's new wrestling sensation.
Reetika has already ventured where no Indian female wrestler has gone before. Last week she won an Olympic quota in the 76kg weight division. It is the heaviest Olympic weight class for women and will mark the first time India will be represented in the category at the Paris Games. The quota is a testament to the rising graph of the 22-year-old who won the Senior Asian Championships bronze and U23 Worlds gold last year. A year before that, she was Asia U23 champion and won bronze in the U22 World Championships.
At the Olympic qualifiers in Bishkek, Reetika cleared four rounds winning over some tough opponents that included Worlds silver medallist Davaanasan Enkh Amar of Mongolia and Asian Games medallist Juan Wang of China
"I had prepared well for the qualifiers and I went into the bouts with a positive frame of mind. I wanted to fulfil my dream of winning an Olympic quota and now the target is an Olympic medal," said Reetika.
{{/usCountry}}"I had prepared well for the qualifiers and I went into the bouts with a positive frame of mind. I wanted to fulfil my dream of winning an Olympic quota and now the target is an Olympic medal," said Reetika.
{{/usCountry}}Her toughest bout was against Wang. Reetika was leading 8-0 when the Chinese wrestler made a strong comeback. The Indian finally prevailed 9-6.
"It was a very close bout but I did not lose my focus even when she made a comeback into the bout," she said.
National coach Virender Singh Dahiya said Reetika has emerged as the brightest Indian talent in women's wrestling in the last few years. Dahiya has been in her corner for most international competitions, including in Bishkek. "She has good power and a strong mind. Even when she is trailing, she will back herself to win the bout," said Dahiya.
It was in 2015 that Reetika started wrestling at the Chotu Ram Stadium in Rohtak, the academy famed for producing Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik. Sakshi's Olympic qualification was a catalyst for Reetika.
"I remember Sakshi di had just qualified for the Rio Olympics, it was the time I joined wrestling. I always wanted to play a sport and wrestling just happened," said Reetika.
She also draws inspiration from someone younger than her – USA's Amit Elor, a two-time world champion in the 72kg category. Both crossed paths many times in their junior days before they chose different Olympic weights for Paris. Amit Elor has qualified in the 68kg category, while Reetika moved up to 76kg.
"She has a good technical game and I like her calm temperament during matches. You will never find her puzzled or flustered. She’s always confident. I try to carry the same confidence and not get swayed by situations."
Reetika's coach at Chotu Ram Stadium, Mandeep Singh, said she goes out to compete in every tournament with a positive mind.
"Right from her junior days, Reetika was never rattled by opponents. She does not check out her pool before competitions. She says, 'I want to compete against strong opponents so that I can improve.' She doesn't want to leave anything to chance. With time, she has grown stronger in every aspect of her wrestling," said Mandeep.
The turning point in Reetika's career was winning gold in the U23 World Championships in 2023. "It gave her the belief that she can go and win an Olympic medal.”
Reetika's mother has played a pivotal role in her career over the years - accompanying her for competitions and paying attention to the nitty gritty, including diet. "Her mother always asks questions about diet, and hydration and takes extra responsibility to look after her,” said Mandeep, “She has contributed a lot to Reetika’s success.”