Thursday, March 31, 2011

Lonely, talented, desperate: India’s only pro female sumo wrestler

Lonely, talented, desperate: India’s only pro female sumo wrestler

Hetal Dave, a 170-centimeter, 23-year-old Brahmin Marwari seems far from the image of an obese sumo wrestler but she is strong, well-built and extremely focused.

In between push-up rounds at Oval Maidan she explains that sumo wrestling is not just about weight.

"It's a game of concentration and every fraction of a second matters," says Dave.

With no professional sumo ring to practice in, a quiet corner of the Oval is her daily haunt, where she hones her skills as a pro wrestler.

"It's strange sometimes to practice here, as people stop, stand and just stare," she says. 

Dave's interest in sumo stems from judo, which she's been practicing since the age of six when her father enrolled her in classes.

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Eliza Dushku
Adriana Lima

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