From Pool Cleaner to Podium: Assam Wrestler Debi Daimari's Silver Medal Journey

The 28-year-old from Dineshpur village in Sisupani, Golaghat district of Assam, lost her parents at age seven and then moved in with her uncle and aunt. She had to take on odd jobs to continue her training due to financial hardships.

All those efforts finally paid off when Debi won the silver medal in the women's 62kg category at the Khelo India Tribal Games here.

"This medal is the result of my hard work. I started wrestling in 2022 at the Khelo India Centre near Kaziranga in Bokakhat. To train there, I had to rent a room nearby, but I didn't have the money to pay ₹1000 as rent, so I had to take up a part-time job for a year," said Debi, who belongs to the Bodo tribe.

"In 2022, I worked at an Easy Bazaar store in Bokakhat for a monthly salary of ₹2500. In 2023, I got a job at Bon Villa Resort in Kaziranga, where I earned around ₹7000 per month. I used to clean the swimming pool there.

"After working all day, I could only manage two hours of wrestling practice in the evening. Whatever I have achieved, this silver medal is the result of that effort. But I am not satisfied-I now want to work even harder and win gold," she said.

Before entering the wrestling arena, Debi participated in powerlifting and arm wrestling. In 2022, she connected with Assam team coach Anustup Narah, who guided her through the subtleties of wrestling.

Coach Anustup recalled, "I met her during an arm-wrestling tournament in Bokakhat in 2022. I immediately told her to take up wrestling. After some thought, she agreed. I advised her to stay near the centre for better training. She said she couldn't afford the rent, so I helped her get a job through the district wrestling association and arranged a bicycle for her. She used that bicycle to commute to work and training."

Debi qualified for the Senior State Championships in Visakhapatnam in the same year she began wrestling training. Two years later, in 2024, she secured a gold medal at the State Championship.

Debi married in 2025, and her husband's and in-laws' support has strengthened her resolve to succeed nationally.

"My in-laws are very supportive, and my husband, who works in Bengaluru, constantly supports me by sending money so that I don't face any difficulties. My next aim is to win medals at the senior level and then compete internationally. I am working day and night for that. Once I return, I will follow the plan my coach sets for me," she added.

- IANS