A reluctant student to World Games medallist: The Namrata Batra story

Namrata Batra was 13 when she picked up the sport of Wushu. Lack of interest in studies made her parents encourage her to explore sports and that’s when Wushu happened.

A decade later, Namrata became the first Indian to secure a medal in Wushu at the World Games in Chengdu, China. She beat Philippines’ Krizan Faith Collado 2-0 in a one-sided semifinal in the women’s Sanda 52kg final.

Speaking to The Bridge from Chengdu, an elated Namrata said, "I am very happy. For the final, I need to prepare a lot and maintain a positive mindset so I can take my country forward."

"I’m thankful for the opportunity to perform on the global stage, but I haven’t achieved my goal yet. The final is still ahead, and I’m going for the gold," she stressed.

"My semi-final bout was with the Philippines. I saw Collado during the Asia Cup last month, but we didn’t play each other. This was the first time I was fighting with her. There were two rounds and I won one-sided," Namrata added.

On her strengths throughout the tournament, Namrata said, "My kicks are very good and I was using them with a combination of punches. In the semis, I was landing very good kicks, I was attacking very well."

Monday’s favourable result has ensured that Namrata will take home at least a silver. She will now take on Mengyue Chen of People’s Republic of China in the final on Tuesday.

“I have to be prepared mentally and physically. I will try to incorporate all suggestions given by my coaches and my teammates," said Namrata.

"The strategy is to look for scoring opportunities early on and take an early lead if possible. I want to play an attacking game. In hindi we say ‘chadh ke khelna hai’ so that my opponent remains demotivated. I have to stand like a wall," she added.

Who is Namrata Batra?

Namrata is a final year MCom student in Mohali. Her father is a businessman and mother a homemaker. She trains at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) National Centres of Excellence (NCOE) in Itanagar.

Representing Madhya Pradesh, Namrata struck gold in her very first Junior National appearance in 2015.

"I wasn’t really interested in academics back then," she admitted. "But my family stood by me and encouraged me to pursue sport.

"My father wanted me to be independent, so he encouraged me to get into sports. He enrolled me in a gym where martial arts training was taking place. There was a one-month Wushu program going on, and he signed me up. That’s how it all began.

“The coaches in my hometown, at the national camp and even at SAI are very supportive and guide me well at every step,” she added.

In recognition of her contributions to the sport, Namrata received the State Award from the Government of Madhya Pradesh.

Namrata won a silver medal in the 2017 Junior Asian Championship and followed it up with a gold in senior category.

"I picked up an injury in 2023 during the Asian Games trials and I couldn't achieve my goals. I recovered and returned to action and won a silver in the 2024 Asian Championship," Namrata highlighted.

Namrata had won a bronze at last month’s Moscow Star International Wushu Championship in the run up to the games.