CHENNAI: Year 2023 turned out to be the worst phase in the life of Indian woman wrestler Anshu Malik. The 2021 World Championships silver medallist not only suffered big setbacks on the wrestling mat but also encountered a personal trauma which turned her world upside down. A fake vulgar video started doing the rounds soon after Anshu lost a bout during the selection trials held to pick up the Indian team for the Asian Games last year.
Such was the impact of it that the Haryana grappler even contemplated quitting the sport. "The year 2023 can be said to be the worst phase in my life as I faced a lot of adversities during that period," Anshu, who is managed by IOS Sports and Entertainment, told this daily.
She lost faith in everything including the Almighty. "At one point of time, I even thought about quitting wrestling. I lost faith in everything including God. But my family and a few people, who hold a special place in my life, stood by me like a rock and motivated me to deal with the situation and keep striving hard. They gave me strength and then I thought my story cannot end like this. I have to leave these obstacles behind. I might have failed to make it to the Asian Games but I can still earn a quota for the Paris Olympics. So I decided to continue preparing for the qualifiers," added Anshu, who also competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
It was not easy as Anshu not only had to deal with off the mat issues but also the injuries which have forced her to skip important international events one after the other. She could feature only in the Senior Asian Championships in 2023 where she bagged bronze. But the goal was pretty clear and a plan was chalked out to achieve it. She missed the 2023 World Championships thus a chance to secure the Paris Games quota by finishing on the podium.
Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan was scheduled to hold the next qualifying event, the Asian Olympic Games Qualifier, and Anshu made sure she was more than ready for the battle. She came out with all guns blazing as the wrestler registered emphatic wins in the qualifier to reach the final and secure an Olympic quota in the 57kg weight category on April 20. As per the criteria, finalists of the event were eligible for Olympic quotas in their respective weight categories.
Looking back, Anshu remembers the role played by her family to keep her focussed. She also thanked the psychologist, who gave her a different perspective of life when things were falling apart and nothing was going in her favour. Before that difficult phase, Anshu, like the majority of athletes in the country, was indifferent to the role of sports psychologist.
"Earlier, I used to presume that I do not need a psychologist. Honestly, I was not ready to accept that I need a psychologist. Before 2023 I was in touch with the psychologist but the importance of it I realised when I faced those difficulties. There are a few things which you cannot discuss with your family, near and dear ones. But it can be discussed with the psychologist. Once I let out those things, I started understanding life in a better way. I understand that with fame comes criticism and you have to deal with it. You cannot control people and what they say and think about you. Now, what people say and think about doesn't matter to me. It doesn't bother me. Now I have a regular counselling sessions and this has helped in a great way."
Olympic qualification is the start as the 23-year-old wrestler from Nidani knows the challenges which lie ahead. She was a medal prospect in the Tokyo Games but the dream to finish on the podium in the sporting extravaganza came crashing down as she managed ninth position. Anshu, however, is confident that this time she is a different person altogether - more mature and geared up for all the challenges.
"A lot has changed since the last Olympics. The maturity level has gone up. I have ironed out the technical flaws that cut short my run in Tokyo. I have worked on my strength. Mentally I have become tougher. I know I can overcome any challenge now. So this time it will be different," Anshu hoped.
It's going to be a tough field in the 57kg and Anshu knows it. The top four 5 including numero uno Tsugumi Sakurai from Japan, Nigerian Odunayo Folasade Adekuoroye, Anastasia Nichita from Moldova and Helen Maroulis of the USA apart from others, who had qualified for the Games can pose a big challenge. The Nigerian, in fact, was the one who defeated Anshu in the 57kg final at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. "Except for the Japanese wrestler, I have had close bouts with these top 5 wrestlers. Those bouts were not lopsided affairs. I knew where I committed mistakes and did my best to rectify them. I am hopeful I will be better prepared this time."
Injuries also hampered Anshu's progress as soon after the CWG she underwent an elbow surgery. She then sustained an injury in the left knee during the selection trials for the Asian Championships last year but decided to undergo rehabilitation instead of a surgery on the advice from her treating doctors. The knee injury was the reason for her missing the 2023 Worlds. "I feel I am closer to full fitness. During rehabilitation, we worked on my mental toughness and other aspects of the game. We also came up with a plan on how to go forward."
Anshu will now head to Japan for 40-45 days training camp next week in her bid to prepare for the Games. She will train at the Nippon Sports Science University where she will get world-class sparring partners in Akari Fujinami, 53kg world champion, Miwa Morikawa, the dominating wrestler in 65kg and Kaori Icho, the champion wrestler who won four straight Olympic gold from 2004 to 2016 apart from 10 Worlds gold medals. Icho is a coach with the university at the moment. "I will come back to India for the proposed bouts between the Olympic quota winners and challengers if the selection trials happen."
Anshu was unstoppable during the qualifier and she hopes to be the same wrestler when the competition begins in Paris as the year gone by had made her more determined to become India's only second woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal after Sakshi Malik.