Judo, being a lesser-pursued sport at home, Indians have to compete in places around the world. Few years back, India was not respected in this sport. Opponents would see they were slated against an Indian and think, this will be easy.
People may not know much about judo but that's changing. One of the reasons behind it is Garima Chaudhary.
It all began when Garima became the sole Indian to qualify for the 2012 London Olympic Games. But her debut lasted merely 81 seconds after she was knocked out against one of the world's top judokas in the first elimination round of the 63 kg category.
One step at a time
She started at a very early age and has been going places since then.
Not long ago, she clinched the gold medal at the 2016 Commonwealth Judo Championship finals at Port Elizabeth in South Africa. Returning victorious from an international judo championship with a gold medal in hand, Garima can proudly say, “Look how far we’ve come."
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, she says, "It was a good experience. I wasn't drawn in the easiest of groups but I just kept telling to myself to believe in my ability and in my training."
"I defeated a strong South African judoka in the first round and later in the tournament faced another girl from South Africa. She was quite strong but I stuck to my plan and got the victory," adds the 26-year-old judoka from Meerut.
Garima faced a Scottish judoka in the final but it was a walk in the park for her. She says, "I think all those hours in the gym came to my rescue as I managed my body well and pressed at crucial games in the bout."
Improving every day and winning when it matters
Judo is a sport where the primary goal is to put the opponent on their back as hard and as fast as one can. Many may think that judo is close to other martial arts or boxing. But the truth is it's as similar as basketball is to football.
"There is a long way for judo to go but what we currently have is an encouraging beginning. The Federation is also doing a lot for the promotion of the sport but it is a slow process and we need to understand that," she says.
Judo is unquestionably the largest martial art in the world in terms of the number of people that participate in the sport from the various countries.
"My qualification for the London Olympics, our performances at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and at the Asian Level has ensured attention for the sport and these are good signs but there is still a lot of work to be done," adds Garima.
Although things did not go as per plan at the 2012 London Olympics, she believes it was a big learning curve for her.
"I picked up a lot of important nuggets after the tournament that go into making successful athletes. I am hopeful that my ranking will rise," she says gently.
She adds, "This gold medal will give me a few points and if I manage to consistently do well at future tournaments in the run-up to the Olympics, go deep into them, I might have a chance."
Judo: Male-oriented sport in our country?
No, not at all.
Judo isn't the most commonly known and played sport in India and there were a few doubters when she started her career.
She says, "There are always challenges whenever a girl from a small town takes up a professional sport."
A grateful Garima owes her judo career to her family who coaxed her into the sport seeing her build.
Expressing their happiness through words, she adds, "My family always backed me to the hilt. They absorbed a lot of the negativity and doubt that was cast my way, allowing very little to filter through."
Once she started proving herself on the mat, it didn't matter that she was a girl or a boy. It was about being a professional athlete. Improving every day and winning when it mattered.
2016 has a lot in store for her
"2015 wasn't a very good year for me. I was working hard but the results weren't coming. It was a case of being mentally strong and I am glad I pulled through that," she says.
Garima, one of the first batch of athletes supported by the JSW Sports Excellence Program is thankful to all the people who have contributed to her growth right from Meerut to the federation.
"I will be using this Gold medal as a springboard and look to better myself in the coming months," says the judoka who still is a valued member of JSW Sports.
For Garima, Rio Olympics 2016 will be an opportunity for to show her true identity.
