Visakhapatnam: Who says women not fit for wrestling?

Visakhapatnam: It's time to rejoice for Dola Sravani, a city-based wrestler, as another medal has been added to her kitty.

After winning a silver medal in the just-concluded Wrestling Championship in Guntur, the second-year student of B Com says that she is proud to be a watchman's daughter and that her adversity does not douse her passion flames.

Sravani firmly believes that there is no domain that stops a woman from foraying into. "It's the same thought that nudged me to step into the wrestling ring when I was in Class IX after watching a coach presenting a brief demonstration," she recalls.

Sravani has so far bagged eight silver medals, a gold medal and a bronze medal in district, state and national level wrestling tournaments. At the national-level championship, she won a bronze medal. "My aim is to win a gold medal at the national-level competition," says the 20-year-old wrestler.

Laying emphasis on the support that pours in from her well-wishers for each tournament she participates in, Sravani says, "While my friend Saroja, who runs a gymnasium, helps me in getting free training at the gym, a private caterer extends financial support to the travel and boarding expenses for my outdoor tournaments," she shares. Considering her financial constraints, Sravani says, she limits her frequency of taking part in the state and national level contests.

Sharing her dreams with The Hans India, Sravani says that she aspires to become an IPS officer. "There is a reason for it. Years before, my father was made a scapegoat as a false allegation was levelled against him in a case and was kept in the lock up for a couple of days. That day, I decided to become an IPS officer," she explains.

A few years down the line, she aligned her 'calling' with picking up the nuances of wrestling. "I am thankful to my parents D Nagaraju and D Kumari, working as an ayah in a private institution, and coach Jyothi for encouraging me in realising my goals. Today, when people point out that women are not cut for wrestling, I tell them that they never gave a chance to explore or tried diligently," says Sravani, who studies in Alwar Das Degree College.

She says that her three-hour-long practice a day does not block her from focusing on her studies. "The trick lies in effective time management which I am adept at. For me, after college hours are precious and I utilise it judiciously," she concludes.