Despite her late initiation into wrestling and a career plagued by injuries, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist in 50kg, Pooja Gehlot, is determined to prove herself in bigger events.
An admirer of fellow-wrestler Vinesh Phogat and her solid leg defence, Pooja — who switched from volleyball to wrestling as a 17-year-old — said without her ankle issue she could have landed a better medal in the Birmingham Games.
“I injured my ankle one-and-a-half months prior to the Commonwealth Games trials. The doctor plastered the foot. I returned home from the camp, cut my plaster and started rehab and upper body training. I couldn’t have skipped the Games which come once every four years,” Pooja, the 53kg National champion, told The Hindu.
