Jaipur: Ashwini Vishnoi wanted to become a wrestler. Her father, Mukesh’s income was not enough to send her to professional training schools for wrestling. But Ashwini’s will was as strong as the mountain and nothing could stop her from achieving what she was meant to. 

She made a wrestling ground at her home and engaged in the same kind of practice that professionals do. She participated in many tournaments and her hard work paid off when she won a gold in the 62 kg event of the Under-15 Asian Wrestling Championship in Oman. 

Inspiration to making a career in sports

Ashwini received the inspiration from her father who is also a state level player. In the year 2019, when her cousin won a gold at the national championship, she became determined to make her parents proud in the same way. There wasn’t enough financial support to receive training at a sports club, so she practiced at her home for 7-8 hours a day. 

Father as a coach

Mukesh gave in to Ashwini’s constant persistence to become an international wrestler and became a coach for her himself. He corrected her mistakes and encouraged her to do better. Ashwini had made her body so strong that even after practicing for ten hours a day she would feel motivated to wake up early the next morning for practice. 

She participated in the Asian Championship and won four consecutive matches. She made a name for herself and caught the attention of professional players. 

She shares that she could achieve this feat only because of her father’s motivation. She would have given up years ago had he not supported her with his kind words. 

Winning at international championships

In the international wrestling championship, she defeated Japan’s wrestler in the semi-finals and made it to the final round. She performed extraordinarily in the game and became unstoppable. After competing against China’s and Kazakhstan’s wrestlers, she won the gold medal for her country. 

With this achievement, Ashwini became the first woman wrestler from Rajasthan to win a gold in the international championship.