Wrestling against odds on new soil, Vaishnavi Patil powers her way to World Championships

Vaishnavi Patil became the talk of the town in New Delhi on Sunday as she dazzled spectators by clinching the 65kg title with a stunning performance at the World Wrestling Championships Trials at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall.

The 22-year-old from Maharashtra achieved this feat with a dramatic victory over Haryana's Muskan, securing two crucial takedowns in the final minute and showcasing lightning-fast footwork to seal the win.

Vaishnavi's triumph was hard-fought, marked by repeated heartbreaks and a grueling wait, finally conquering the top spot after falling short in six to seven previous trials.

From the Asian Championships to the Asian Games, Vaishnavi had missed several chances to make her international debut. But now, the wait is over — she will finally step onto the mat at one of the biggest tournaments.

"Today I had a feeling like I will do this and went there 'Jidaari nhi chhodni h' (will not give up), even my coaches were saying that even with so many failures, you are still putting in this much hard work, so results will come, " Vaishnavi shared with TheBridge after her triumphant performance at the Trials.

Home far from home

While others celebrated their victories with family, Vaishnavi quietly enjoyed her triumph, blessed from over 1,300 km away by her parents in her hometown of Kalyan, Maharashtra.

Vaishnavi has completely shifted her base from Maharashtra to the Sushil Kumar Wrestling Academy in Hisar, Haryana, solely to pursue her wrestling dream. She has remained focused entirely on her goal.

However, both places have distinct cultures and traditions that Vaishnavi had to adapt to in the beginning, whether it was the language, diet, or the different wrestling styles.

In Maharashtra, mud wrestling is more popular, while in Haryana, mat wrestling dominates.

"I trained mostly on the soil and not the mat, as Maharashtra didn't have that mat culture at that time," Vaishnavi said, explaining the reason behind her move to Hisar.

Vaishnavi also addressed her early challenges after the shift:

"The most difficult part was in my diet plan, as here people don't eat much non-veg food, here the involvement of dairy products is more in use."

"But here everyone is supporting and didn't stop me (from non-veg intake), but also added a few more ingredients in my diet like ghee, curd, badam, and other dairy products," Vaishnavi mentioned regarding her change in diet.

Alongside all this, Vaishnavi is also extremely disciplined about her training routine. She doesn't visit home unless there are national trials or tournaments held in Maharashtra.

What worked greatly in her favour was that she didn’t return home for an entire year, choosing instead to stay in Hisar and focus on training.

"Sometimes she even wakes up at 2 or 4 am just to train," said Vaishnavi’s coach, Jasbeer.

"My parents always supported me in everything since my childhood, and even though I lost many trials, my parents still supported me and told me to continue this hard work," Vaishnavi acknowledged her parents’ support.

From admiring to being admired

Inspired by Sakshi Malik's historic Rio Olympics medal, Vaishnavi embarked on her wrestling journey. "Sakshi Malik’s 2016 Olympic medal sparked my passion for khusti," Vaishnavi shared the starting point of her wrestling journey.

She cherished that moment so deeply that she chose wrestling as her passion, starting with dangal fights on the mud arenas of Maharashtra before shifting to amateur mat wrestling in Haryana.

"At Khelo India Youth Games, I watched the performance from the students of Jasbeer Sir's and decided to shift myself towards mat wrestling. Then, my father enrolled me there, and I joined the academy around late 2020." Vishnavi addressed her first major move.

The experience at the Wrestling Academy in Haryana takes Vaishnavi to a different new world and gives her a new lesson, and also a teaser of what challenges are lined up for her next.

"First, I thought there was not much in this game, but when I started in Hisar, I understood that you have to work pretty hard in this sport, and you also have to save yourself from any injury while giving a full 100 percent," Vaishnavi told her first learning.

A sudden shift that paid off

Vaishnavi will be the only wrestler from Maharashtra in the Indian women’s squad for the World Championships. Interestingly, this came as a result of a sudden plan, as she chose to compete in the 65kg category instead of her regular 62kg.

"Just 2–3 days back, I decided that I will do 65 kg as there I have very good chances, and in 62 kg there the wrestlers are better. We will fight in 62 also in the future, but I need more practice and hard work for that," Vaishnavi explained.

The Indian team will now disperse to their respective centers but will regroup soon for the national camp, which includes a 15-day foreign tour to Croatia in mid-August.

The camp will run until the World Championships, and all wrestlers selected must remain in camp. Any failure to comply may result in serious penalties.

In the meantime, coach Jasbeer has planned the training routine for the three wrestlers from his academy selected for the Worlds — Ankush (50kg), Vaishnavi (65kg), and Jyoti Berwal (72kg).

"I know she (Vaishnavi) will do even better at the Senior World Championships, and now we will be training hard with the three wrestlers selected from our academy and give them special time for the Worlds," Jasbeer said.

"We also hired a strength and conditioning coach as the sport of wrestling has evolved over the years, and athletes need to train harder. A physio can help reduce injury issues," he added.

This is just the first big step for Vaishnavi, who must now work harder to refine her skills and maintain consistency — if she hopes to fulfill her parents’ dream of winning a medal at the 2028 Olympics.