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Paris Olympics 2024: History-maker Reetika Hooda targets Gold in wrestling in upcoming Games

indiatvnews.com 3 days ago

Reetika Hooda is set to compete in the upcoming Olympics in Paris. She is the first Indian woman to have qualified in the heavyweight category of wrestling and has her goals set for the Paris Games. Watch our exclusive chat with Reetika as she embarks on the Olympics journey.

Reetika Hooda.
Image Source : X, INDIA TV Reetika Hooda.

She already has created history even before entering into the upcoming Olympic Games. At 22 years of age, Reetika has become the first Indian woman to qualify for the Olympics in the heavyweight (76kg) category. 

The Haryana-based grappler was also the first woman from India to win a Gold medal at the U23 World Championships, a feat she achieved last year in Albania. But she wants more, perhaps a Gold at the upcoming Paris Olympics.

During an exclusive Interview with India TV, the grappler reveals her goals for the upcoming Games. "Me, my coach and my family want me to perform better than what I have done in my previous competitions so that I can win Gold at the Paris Games," she says during an event organized by the Indian Olympic Association in Delhi on Sunday. 

Reetika went from 72kg to 76kg in 2023 and the U23 Worlds were the first she was competing in the 76kg category. Why she is the first Indian to qualify for the Olympics in this category. She says that this category is a difficult one. "76kg is a heavyweight category and it is difficult for India to qualify for it. Athletes are fit and stronger in this weight division around the world. God heard my prayers, so I have qualified for it."

So what will she do if she manages to win a medal at the upcoming Games? Reetika says she will go and hand over the medal to her family and her coach as they are the reason behind her journey this far. "If I bring a medal, I would go to my coach and my family and hand them that. Then I will go the temples to thank the God," she adds. 

Watch Reetika's interview here:

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