Wrestler Reetika Hooda is India’s final hope to get another medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 on August 10 (Saturday). The sixth and final wrestler of the Indian contingent, Reetika Hooda, will compete against Bernadett Nagy of Hungary in her opening round. Nagy is a two-time bronze medalist at the European Championships.
Who is wrestler Reetika Hooda?
Reetika Hooda was born in Rohtak district, Haryana. Her father, Jagbir Singh, is a farmer, and her mother, Neelam is a housewife.
Reetika’s journey began at Rohtak’s Chhotu Ram Stadium, the same place where Sakshi Malik once trained. The sight of Sakshi qualifying for the Rio Olympics in 2016 served as a powerful motivator for Reetika.
The Indian is a freestyle wrestler and has made significant achievements in her young career.
In 2023, wrestler Reetika became the first Indian to win a gold medal in the Under-23 World Championships by defeating Kennedy Blades from the United States. In the same year, she secured a bronze medal in the women’s 72 kg event in Egypt. Reetika also won a bronze medal at the Asian Wrestling Championship in 2023.
In her journey to the Olympics, Reetika faced numerous challenges, especially during times when national camps were unavailable. She resorted to local training and dedicated three to four hours daily to field training in the two months leading up to the Olympics. Despite being the youngest among seasoned competitors, Reetika is determined to give her best performance.
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