From Kalyan to Hisar to World Championships, Dhaba Owner’s Daughter Dreams of Olympics
Vaishnavi Patil earned her place in the World Championships with remarkable speed and mat sense. She now has her sights set on an Olympic medal.
Vaishnavi Patil impressed with her quickness and excellent mat awareness during the selection trials for the upcoming World Championships. She outclassed her opponents one after another to claim her place in the national squad in the women’s 65kg weight class for next month’s Worlds in Zagreb.
Considering her sharp tactics and strong defence, it’s surprising that Vaishnavi has only been practising mat wrestling for four years and hasn’t competed much in big tournaments.
Usually, Indian wrestlers move from the junior to senior levels by gaining exposure through domestic competitions, then progressing to the Asian level, and slowly making their way into senior international events, the Asian Championships, and finally the World stage.
Who is Vaishnavi Patil?
Vaishnavi, the daughter of a dhaba operator from Kalyan in Mumbai, has quickly reached the national level despite taking up the sport relatively late.
“I began mat wrestling at the end of 2020. Before that, I was only into mud wrestling. When I saw Sakshi Malik win a medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, I knew what I wanted to do. I just wanted to pursue this sport,” Vaishnavi told PTI after defeating Muskan 7-2 in the final.
“My father runs a dhaba and my mother is a homemaker. Both of them are doing everything to support me. There weren’t many good training centres in Maharashtra, so I moved to Hisar,” said the 22-year-old, who trains under coach Jasbeer at the Sushil Kumar Akhada.
Vaishnavi looks up to American wrestler Helen Maroulis, the 2016 Olympic gold medallist, who also won bronze at both the Tokyo (2021) and Paris (2024) Games, and is a seven-time Worlds medallist. “She’s a brilliant wrestler. I watch her matches on YouTube. I want to achieve success for myself and for the country. I’m confident of winning a medal at the Worlds and ultimately want to win an Olympic medal.”
Coach Jasbeer believes that keeping Vaishnavi from frequently travelling home to Maharashtra has played a key role in her growth. “Earlier, she used to stay for two to three months in Hisar and then return home for two months. I told her parents that she must remain at the training centre for one full year. They agreed, and she has been very dedicated since. The results are now visible.
“She is extremely disciplined and puts in a lot of effort. We have several skilled wrestlers at our centre, and training with them has helped her. She’s technically strong and has good counter-attacking skills.”
Interestingly, Vaishnavi began her athletic journey as a swimmer and even won two state-level medals. She was inspired to take up wrestling after attending a felicitation event for wrestlers and seeing the honour they received.
“When she was in Class IX, she said she wanted to become a fighter pilot and serve the nation. We explored training options, but since her eyesight was -9.7, we realised it wouldn’t be possible.
“We enrolled her in swimming, but one day she expressed her wish to switch sports. The wrestling centres were far away in Kolaba, Sangli, and Satara, and we were hesitant to send her that far. But seeing her determination, we got in touch with Jasbeer sir and sent her to Hisar,” her father Dilip Patil told PTI.
“In the beginning, her mother stayed with her to look after her. I run a dhaba near the bus stand in our village and spend all the earnings on her training. My bank account has nothing left. I manage household expenses with some income from farming, but every rupee from the dhaba goes to Vaishnavi.
“She showed potential very early. At her very first tournament, without much training, she won a silver medal at the junior state championship, followed by back-to-back golds. We talk to her only once a week on Sundays, as the coaches don’t allow her to keep a mobile phone at the akhada,” said Patil.
After shifting to Haryana, Vaishnavi had to adjust to a different culture compared to her home state. “In Haryana, most people don’t eat non-veg. They rely heavily on milk, curd, and such items. I’ve added ghee, almonds, and all dairy products to my diet, although I still eat non-veg. I’ve even picked up the Haryanvi language,” Vaishnavi said with a cheerful smile.
