Anita Sheoran, who hails from Haryana, is working in the state police service but has filed her nomination as a representative of the Odisha unit. Anita Sheoran was also a witness in the allegation of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan Singh. You will remember that six wrestlers of the country had made allegations of sexual harassment against the President of Wrestling Federation, Brij Bhushan Singh.
Sanjay Kumar Singh has been a part of the Wrestling Federation and he is also the outgoing Joint Secretary. He is also considered close to Brij Bhushan Singh. On the other hand, Anita Sheoran, who is giving competition to Sanjay, has been a champion in the Commonwealth Games. The elections for the wrestling federation will be held on August 12. If Anita Sheoran wins the election of the President of Mahakushti Sangh, then she will be the first woman to reach this post.
Anita Sheoran comes from Dhani Mahu, a small village in Bhiwani district of Haryana. His father was a driver and mother is a homemaker. Together they have three sisters and one brother. Anita Sheoran was interested in sports since childhood and she tells that her grandfather was a wrestler. Anita also heard many stories of wrestling from her grandfather in childhood but had never seen grandfather playing wrestling.
She says, “The atmosphere at home was conservative and studies were not allowed. If I used to go for running, it was said whether I would become a champion. The elder brother used to guard that the sisters should not look here and there. We were not allowed to stand on the platform of the house.
Anita Sheoran says, “My brother who was my aunt's son was preparing to join the army and he asked me to go running with him. But to do sports, it was necessary for me to move out of the village because there was neither environment nor opportunities.
Anita Sheoran wanted to come to Bhiwani for sports but could not find any way out. Meanwhile, her uncle who was a teacher told Anita's mother that your girls are good in studies. Why don't you send your elder daughter to Bhiwani to study? When Anita Sheoran heard this, she was hopeful and felt that with the help of her elder sister, her way to Bhiwani would also be cleared.
But as soon as it came to the point of going to Bhiwani by sitting in a bus from the village, the family rejected it.
Anita Sheoran says, “My mother was illiterate but understood the importance of education and supported me. He convinced my father and my sister got admission in Bhiwani. After this, uncle helped me to get admission in Bhiwani school and sister said that you have arts subjects, get involved in sports also, it will help in the long run.
While studying in government school of Bhiwani, Anita took judo in sports. She used to go for Judo center training and at school level itself she won many medals in Judo. Meanwhile, it happened for a few days that the coach did not come to the Judo Center and during that time Anita met a girl who asked Anita to go to the stadium.
It was from here that a new turn came in Anita Sheoran's life. He met wrestling coach Jile Singh Bagdi at Bhim Stadium in Bhiwani. Talking about her coach, Anita Sheoran's voice crackled. According to him, "I cannot express in words the happiness I felt after reaching the stadium and meeting him. I was not so happy even after winning the Commonwealth.
She says, "The coach asked me on seeing me, do you do any sports?" Anita says in a phone conversation, "He saw my fitness and understood that this girl is made for sports. After that I started going there for training and medals started coming. After this the family members were also happy and they never stopped me but started giving full cooperation.
She says, "Coach Zile Singh taught her wrestling but also taught her the lesson of humanity." Anita's memory is still fresh in coach Zile Singh's mind.
He tells in a conversation with BBC, "When Anita came to me in the year 1999-2000, she was a beginner. He started wrestling with me but very soon he learned the tricks of wrestling.
Zile Singh says, "She used to concentrate a lot in learning anything and very soon she won medals in the nationals." When asked the question that in which trick of wrestling was his mastery, in response he says, "She has been very expert in giving one shot." In wrestling, there is such a bet when one player grabs one leg of the other player and throws it.
However, in a conversation with BBC, Zile Singh, who was the coach of Sai, definitely says that he has no information about Anita wrestling federation's president contesting for the post. On the other hand, according to coach Bhupendra Ghankas, Anita Sheoran has been a great wrestler and has won many medals at the national and international level.
Anita Sheoran has won the gold medal in the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in Delhi. He participated twice in the Asian Championship and won bronze medals in both. She has been the National Champion more than eight times.
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