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Seema Bilsa recently qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics after winning the semi-final in the women’s 50kg event at the World Wrestling Olympic Qualifiers, in Sofia, Bulgaria. She thus became the eighth Indian and fourth female grappler to have made the cut to the mega-event, starting on July 24, later this year.
Hailing from a family of wrestlers, it was Seema’s father – Azad Singh, who instilled the interest for the sport in her. Her father would often recall the experiences of his own wrestling career, which Seema would absorb and eventually put into use when she came onto the scene several years later.
Seema Bisla's journey
However, Seema and everyone around her knew that she would be able to develop her game in Gudham village, and would have to move elsewhere. It was her elder sister Sushila and her husband, Nafe Singh, who came to the rescue and gave her shelter in Rohtak. But there were more reasons for the re-settlement.
The financial condition of Seema’s father was not stable, which prompted her elder sibling to take responsibility. In fact, Nafe Singh, an assistant sub-inspector with the Haryana Police, dished out most of his salary on Seema’s training.
Singh had to support five children at a certain point in time, including his brother’s children. But the sacrifices have reaped results after all.
“I had to support five children in the family, including my brother’s children. But most of my salary gets used up on Seema’s training. Her passion for wrestling was what kept us all motivated, and now that she’s booked the Olympic spot, it’s just going to encourage us further," said Nafe Singh, as reported by Indian Express.
Early Career
The first break came in 2009, when Seema won a bronze medal at the 2009 Asian Cadet Championships in Pune. Three years after the breakthrough, a shoulder and neck injury forced Seema to change her weight category to 67kg. However, she won the junior nationals in the same year as well as claiming back-to-back bronze medals at the 2012 and 2013 Asian Junior Championships.
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Two years down the line, she changed her weight category once again, from 67kg to 53kg by shedding weight, following which Seema won Bronze medals at the senior nationals in 2015 and 2016. Subsequently, the athlete dropped down to her current weight category - 50kg, in 2018, after fellow grappler Vinesh Phogat moved to the 53kg event.
Qualification to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics
Earlier this year, Seema returned from the Asian Championships in Alamaty, Kazakhstan, with a bronze medal. With months left until the 2021 Tokyo Olympics began, she knew breaking through the ceiling was the only way to qualify for the mega-event.
Chief national coach Kuldeep Malik also identified certain drawbacks in Seema’s game during the continental meet, which included her defensive skills.
Both of them worked on the flaws tirelessly, with the teacher making his ward show videos of tall wrestlers bending their knees to avoid leg attacks and also polishing skills on various moves. The results were instant.
“I would make her see videos of tall wrestlers bending their knees to avoid leg attacks and worked on moves like ‘Baghal Doob,’ where she lifts her hands and attacks from behind, or ‘Khinch Mar,’ where she pulls the leg or body of the opponent while moving her body back," said Kuldeep Malik.
In the World Wrestling Qualifiers, the Indian started off her campaign with a thumping 8-2 win over Belarussian Anastasiya Yanatova in the pre quarter-finals. She carried her form into the next round, winning yet another lopsided bout with the final score reading 10-2 in her favor.
It was down to the semi-final clash, which would decide whether Seema will take the flight to Tokyo or not.
Seema came up with a clinical display in the last-four clash against Poland’s Anna Lukasiak. The Indian was already leading 2-1 midway through the bout, having registered a double-pointer towards the end of the first period.
She held onto the lead throughout the game and eventually claimed the bragging rights and, most importantly, a ticket to Tokyo. In fact, the 29-year old also went on to win the gold medal in the 50kg event after defeating Ecuadorian Lucia Guzman in the final.
