Who is Bhavika Patel? All you need to know about U23 Indian wrestler

Bhavika Patel is the first female wrestler from Gujarat to represent India in the World U23 Wrestling Championships.

Bhavika Patel is a promising Indian wrestler who hails from Ahmedabad, Gujarat. She recently has risen to prominence following representing India at the World U23 Wrestling Championships 2024, in Tirana, Albania.

What has intrigued Indian wrestling enthusiasts is that despite a majority of wrestlers coming from Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, and Maharashtra among others, Patel belongs to Ahmedabad, a city that doesn’t have many athletes pursuing wrestling as a career. With this, she also became the first female wrestler from her state to compete for India in the tournament’s history.

As India considers a potential bid for the Olympics in the coming future with plans of Ahmedabad being the host city, athletes like Patel are exactly the kind of talent the city would hope to showcase.

Let us now take a closer look at Patel’s journey, including her involvement in wrestling, struggles, and notable achievements so far in her career.

Bhavika Patel took up the sport when she was nine

Bhavika’s father, Jagram Patel, was formerly a wrestler but left the sport due to the limited opportunities available at the time. He ran a flour mill shop from the front of his house. Despite stepping away from wrestling, he continued to train young talents by coaching kids at a nearby school, where Bhavika also began her wrestling journey at the age of nine by attending his classes, according to a report by Sportstar.

Bhavika Patel joined Sports Authority of Gujarat Wrestling Academy for further training

After a few years, Bhavika recognized that she had reached her full potential under her father’s coaching and decided to opt for a change. She then enrolled in the Sports Authority of Gujarat Wrestling Academy for more advanced training, where she began working with Ramesh Kumar, a medal-winning coach at the national level.

Struggles faced by Bhavika in her career

Bhavika has encountered financial challenges as her father earns only about to Rs. 15,000 a month. Although managing their finances is tough for her family, her father tries his best to provide her with what she needs.

However, she struggles to buy shoes priced between Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 10,000 that she requires at least two to three times a year. While the Sports Authority of Gujarat covers her hostel accommodations and funded her surgeries in 2022, she is responsible for managing her expenses related to her kit and nutrition.

According to the report, for the World U23 Championships 2024, she couldn’t buy a pair of shoes worth Rs. 8,000, which is why she decided to use her torn shoes by repairing them using tape and hopes that they will last till the end of the tournament.

Moreover, since Gujarat doesn’t have a lot of female wrestlers, she has to train with male wrestlers from her academy.

Some notable achievements of Bhavika Patel

At the Khel Maha Kumbh event, Bhavika earned gold medals in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022. She bagged a prestigious silver medal at the National Championships held in Gonda in 2022. In 2022, she was selected to join the Indian camp. At the U23 National Championships 2024, she collected a silver medal that secured her a place in the Indian team’s squad for the World Championships.

What are some goals of Bhavika?

Her primary goal is to leave an impression in an Olympic weight discipline for the nation and inspire girls from Gujarat to take up the sport.

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