Typically, superheroes put on capes. Typically they put on a mawashi belt.
Hetal Dave — the nation’s first and solely skilled feminine sumo wrestler — testifies to this. Rising up, she watched her ‘Papa’ put on this belt many a time, generally to coach her, different instances to play the opponent. This core reminiscence continues to be etched within the 37-year-old’s thoughts, as she settles down for a tête-à-tête with The Higher India.
Sudhir Dave didn’t ever need his daughter to surrender on her ardour for need of a superb coach. And so when in 2008, Hetal confirmed indicators of eager to pursue a profession in sumo wrestling, Sudhir made one factor clear. If there wasn’t a coach accessible, he would turn out to be one.
Via her four-year-long profession within the Japanese-origin sport, Hetal has loved the resounding cheers of the viewers, the joys of adrenaline whereas within the dohyo (the ring the place sumo wrestling occurs), and the adulation of the nation. However outshining all of those is one factor — the lengths to which her father went to indicate his help.
“My father was working after I first received curious about sumo wrestling. The day he determined to be my coach, he stop his job to dedicate all his time to coaching me,” Hetal recounts. How powerful was it to take this life-altering determination on the spur of the second? Sudhir responds, “People have loopy minds and when the thoughts decides it desires one thing, nothing is an impediment anymore.”
Piecing the story collectively of how she went from being a toddler who was an ace in judo (Japanese martial arts) to placing India on the sumo wrestling map, she says her dad and mom have all the time been her greatest inspiration and cheerleaders. In actual fact, she says, she will get her love for sports activities from them. “It’s in my DNA. My dad and mom lived in a village all their lives. So, in some ways, sport was an enormous a part of their lives. And after I was 5 years previous, it turned an enormous a part of mine too.”
However whereas the 2 generations bonded over this ardour for sports activities, circumstances distinguished the fortune of pursuing it.
Hetal explains, “Within the village, my dad and mom didn’t have a lot publicity to services or alternatives. In a while, household duties took over and so they couldn’t reside their sports activities goals.” So early on, the couple determined they might not let their kids face the identical destiny.
“When my brother and I confirmed curiosity in sports activities, they made positive they had been there at each observe sitting on the entrance row seats,” she provides.
Whereas some days, sports activities was a ardour, different days, it was Hetal’s secure area. Her chubbiness, which had been adored when she was little, was ridiculed as she received older. “Why can’t I simply slot in,” she thought many a time, opting to remain at dwelling as a substitute of going out since she didn’t need to endure limitless taunts about her weight.
And so, in isolation, she struck an uncommon — albeit particular — friendship with sports activities. It was throughout this part that the membership Hetal attended for judo organised a sumo wrestling championship. The extra she discovered about this new sport, the extra she resonated with it.
“In India, we time period folks skinny and fats. However in Japan, being the latter is just not one thing unhealthy. In actual fact, if one is a sumo wrestler in Japan, they aren’t known as ‘fats’ however fairly, ‘robust’. They’re worshipped, they’re celebrated, and they’re seen as function fashions,” she informs.
Unearthing these tales was illuminating for Hetal, who up till now had considered her weight as an issue. “It made me realise that it was all about notion. From then on, I started to have a look at my weight as a logo of energy,” she says.
Stumbling upon sumo wrestling had ignited a fireplace in Hetal. She spent the subsequent few days in cyber cafes, engrossed in analysis concerning the sport. She needed to be taught every thing there was to it. However the extra she learn, the extra she was startled to not discover point out of any Indian ladies within the sport’s historical past. She determined to search out out why.
“I went to the Sumo Wrestling Affiliation in Churchgate, Mumbai, and spoke to them about my goals of pursuing sumo wrestling professionally,” she recollects. Her enthusiasm was met with reluctance. “They informed me that India didn’t have the infrastructure for the game and the organisation was not supported by the Authorities.”
Hetal must discover her personal sponsor if she was eager to comply with her dream.
From her Mumbai dwelling to the sumo rings of Estonia
As Hetal particulars her journey out for me, I can’t ignore the truth that sumo wrestling is a sport steeped in shows of energy, not simply bodily however emotional. Whereas Hetal struggled to discover a coach to assist her with the previous, she relied on herself and her household for the latter.
Many poked enjoyable and taunted her about these lofty goals. Her father interjects right here saying, “Many individuals would usually jeer saying ‘Hetal is a Gujarati lady and solely eats daal bhat (steamed rice with cooked lentils). How will she obtain something in sports activities with that weight loss plan?’” However the unwavering help of her dad and mom and brother helped her tide via. Criticism was placed on the again burner as her objective occupied the entrance — to take part in a sumo wrestling match.
A New York Instances article in 2022 emphasised how the best sports activities tales are those that transcend sports activities. And Hetal’s is an instance. There was a starvation in her to show to the world that women can do something they got down to, even when that generally means wrestling in a hoop.
“I might write down every thing that I learnt from my analysis. I might watch movies and take notes,” she says. However the chasm between actuality and simulation was evident. “How a lot can one be taught from movies? I knew I wanted to start out enjoying the game to actually be taught.”
And this was when Hetals’s father stepped in.
“He noticed how passionate I used to be about sumo wrestling and determined that we’re going to do that collectively. He purchased me a laptop computer, and each day, we’d watch movies on sumo wrestling, research the approach, after which practise. He and my brother would try the game step-by-step and educate me. We adopted this routine from morning to nighttime for weeks. It turned a kind of dance, there was a rhythm to it,” she notes.
The trio had been relentless of their observe.
In the meantime, the times main as much as the World Championship (2008) in Estonia had been passing rapidly and Hetal nonetheless hadn’t discovered a sponsor. Time was working out. However, as she emphasises, assist all the time arrives while you least count on it.
“A neighborhood Gujarati newspaper would usually write about my achievements, and after I approached them with this dilemma, they put out an article asking if anybody wish to sponsor me to take part in the match. And lots of got here ahead,” she shares.
‘I used to be celebrated for my energy’
Simply a young person, the reminiscence of standing on overseas floor when she landed in Estonia remains to be contemporary in Hetal’s thoughts.
“I used to be conscious that nobody from India could be there on the match and was nervous. Right here I used to be, going for one thing that was so new, and in a wierd place. Whereas I managed to discover a sponsor, the funds had been restricted, and I needed to be extraordinarily cautious about budgeting. However whereas the worry of all of it set in, so did luck,” she says.
“The mayor of the city got here personally to obtain me on the airport and shared how completely happy he was that somebody from India was collaborating. The organisers noticed to it that my vegetarian meals preferences had been taken care of and {that a} consultant accompanied me always in order that language barrier wouldn’t be an issue,” she says.
As Hetal hadn’t had formal teaching, she was unaware of the mawashi (a sumo belt) that’s worn by all wrestlers. “Once I informed the organisers that I didn’t have one, they gave me one and taught me how you can tie it,” she smiles.
Then she additionally received to be aware about the rituals that precede a sumo wrestling occasion.
“I bear in mind sitting intently and watching them practice and observing their strategies,” she shares. The load of the event dawned on her, however she factors out that each one fright lay forgotten when she set foot within the ring for the primary time and was met by thunderous applause. “The entire stadium was cheering for me as a result of the announcer had talked about that I had come on their lonesome from India to take part within the match,” she provides.
The story is riveting and provides Hetal goosebumps. The success of this primary world alternative — she was among the many high 10 — propelled her in the direction of those that adopted. On the World Video games in 2009, she was the one feminine athlete from India out of 200 competing athletes.
Following this win, Hetal needed to retire in 2012 due to an absence of sponsorship. To this finish, she underscores lack of help as the largest hurdle that stops ladies from pursuing sports activities similar to sumo wrestling.
The previous couple of years have saved her on her toes with the documentary movie ‘Sumo Didi’, directed by Jayant Rohatgi. Hetal’s function within the movie is essayed by Shriyam Bhagnani. And Hetal, who personally educated Bhagnani, says the intent was to carry forth each emotion that has colored the canvas of her journey —
“The strain to make your nation proud, the uncertainty of not understanding the opponent’s subsequent transfer within the ring, the sensation of being alone generally at tournaments and never having anybody to have a look at within the stands, the will to show individuals who mentioned ‘You’re fats, you can’t do something in life’ unsuitable.”
She is hopeful that her story can be a beacon for folks to imagine in themselves and comply with their calling. And behind Hetal stands a proud father who by no means for as soon as doubted that his daughter would obtain these feats — “Mhari chori chore se kam hai ke?”
And for all those that questioned how Hetal’s easy weight loss plan would let her obtain greatness in sports activities, her father has a solution prepared, “Ek marwari ne daal bhat kha ke historical past bana li (A Marwari lady has created historical past regardless of a easy vegetarian weight loss plan).”
Edited by Pranita Bhat.
