Wrestler Seema defies odds, books Oly berth

CHENNAI: Seema Bisla (50kg) on Friday became the fourth Indian woman and eighth wrestler to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. The 29-year-old from Haryana made the cut by beating Anna Lukasiak of Poland to enter the final of the World Olympic Games Qualifiers in Sofia, Bulgaria. The top-two wrestlers from each weight category qualify for the Games.  

However, it looked highly impossible when she began her journey more than a decade ago. Given the competition in weights she faced, Seema moved up multiple weight divisions — 46kg in her first Asian Championships as a cadet in 2009 and 67kg three years later in the junior continental event — early in her career. The stiff competition also meant she didn’t get a chance to compete in senior international events for almost four years.

A rule change early in 2019 turned out to be a watershed moment in her career. As per the new rule, wrestlers would have to weigh in on the morning of their contests unlike past when they could weigh in a day before their bouts. This gave Seema the opportunity to compete in her favourite weight category as Vinesh Phogat moved up to 53kg class.

The move paid dividends immediately as she won silver in the 2019 Grand Prix of Spain and followed it up with gold at the Yasar Dogu meet. She also won bronze at the 2021 Asian Championships. “It’s commendable as she never gave up despite being an underdog for years. This perseverance paid off,” Kripa Shankar Patel, former India women’s coach who saw the transformation of Seema, said.