Single mother force behind Anju’s success
PUNE: Teenage Haryana wrestler Anju, who won gold in under-17 women’s 53kg category here, was initiated into wrestling by her peasant father, Naresh.
However, just when she was ready to start her professional career, tragedy laid its icy hand on her family. Naresh, the lone breadwinner of a family of six members including four daughters and one son, died of an illness in 2013. Anju, who was 13 then, felt her world sinking.
It was then that her mother, Phoolwati, decided to farm herself and take care of her family’s financial needs, besides encouraging her youngest daughter to pursue her dreams in wrestling.
Today, three of her daughters are happily married and the youngest son is doing well in studies. However, because of her efforts, Anju continued to play and today she is being touted as one of the most promising young wrestlers in the country having won a bronze medal at the 2017 Junior World Wrestling Championship in Finland.
Describing her mother as her role model, the wrestler from Chuliana village in Rohtak district of the state said, “I want to win in every competition to make my mother happy. She has suffered a lot for me. I don’t want the smile to disappear from her face for even a second. I hope someday I can win an Olympic medal for India and dedicate it to her.”