The name ‘Rathi,’ has been associated with wrestling as long as one can trace out history of the sport in the country. Be it the great Sultan Singh Rathi, Dario Singh Rathi or Jagroop Singh Rathi, all have brought many laurels to the country. The latest to carry forth the legacy is Commonwealth Games medallist Jagroop’s daughter Neha,
The 51kg grappler from Rohtak started her career in 1998 and has been the undisputed champion in her category for more than a decade. “It just feels good when the government recognizes your achievements,” said Neha.
Incidentally, Neha started out as a swimmer and even competed in a couple of state level championships. But she soon shifted her focus to wrestling, to be a part of a rich lineage and carry the mantle forward.
“I wanted to be a swimmer early on in my life but had to give up that idea. It was ideal for me to become a wrestler and follow the family tradition,” she said.
Despite hailing from a wrestler’s background, Neha’s tread wasn’t through a bed of roses. She had to battle it out against the society, which didn’t welcome the idea of women grappling. “There were some initial hiccups, but my father and family were always there to support me. Even now, after my marriage, my in-laws have been very supportive in whatever I do, “said Neha.
A Haryana Police inspector, she wants to try her hand at coaching as well. She wishes to open an academy with her father where she can train women wrestlers. “I plan to start an academy for women wrestlers in Faridabad pretty soon. There are no good training centers for women in the country.”
On a personal front, Neha is eyeing next year’s Asian Championship. “First and foremost on my mind is doing well at the Asian Championships next year,” added Neha.
Keeping aside her tons of knowledge about the sport, Neha is a keen academician as well. She is a post-graduate in English and has an MC Ed in Physical Education from Maharshi Dayanand University.
“I love reading Rabindranath Tagore. Whenever I get free time from wrestling, I make sure that I read something really good.” A bibliophile wrestler is an exception indeed.