An inspirational story of a wrestler from Indore slums

NEW DELHI: There have been many nights in the life of Khelo India University Games medallist wrestler Sunny Jadhav (60kg), who still lives in an Indore slum, when he would just have tea and biscuits for dinner, or would go to sleep empty stomach. He would clean cars to earn his livelihood to feed himself and his family, particularly after his father passed way following a brain haemorrhage in July 2017. Cleaning cars and doing such odd jobs in the morning would fetch Jadhav just Rs.150, and he would train later in the day. When Jadhav's father was alive, they would earn between Rs.500 and Rs.600 a day. Besides, Jadhav's mother, too, would chip in. "My father was healthy but he suffered brain haemorrhage in 2017. Since he was the only breadwinner, I had to do odd jobs to survive," Jadhav told IANS.

"While I had to do the odd job, my mother still works in a day care centre. I sometimes went to bed hungry as I couldn't earn — or just had tea and biscuits for dinner," said the college going wrestler.

Jadhav senior was a former national level wrestler, and he would run a small dhaba to have both ends meet. Since July 2017 that responsibility fell on Jadhav, who started doing the odd job — and also squeeze time out to train as well. Having started as a freestyle wrestler, his switch to Greco Roman style brought in a dramatic change in his fortune — and now he is a medal contender in the 60kg in the National Greco-Roman Championship beginning on Saturday in Jalandhar.

Jadhav would be high on motivation in Jalandhar, one reason being that the sports ministry this month gave him Rs.2.5 lakh cash incentive for his training. From that purse he is going to return the money he has borrowed from people, including his coaches. IANS

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