HIGHLIGHTS

• Judoka Sushila Devi will be participating in her first Olympics
• Sushil won a silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow
• Sushila and her coach Jiwan Sharma will leave for Tokyo on July 17

Growing up, Sushila Devi had just one dream. She always wanted to become the best judoka in her family. Her uncle Dinit Singh was an international player, while her elder brother Shilakshi Singh was also a national gold medal in Judo.

Cut to 2021, Sushila is headed for the Tokyo Olympics. She is set to become the only judoka to represent India at the Olympics, starting July 23.

“I started playing Judo, when I was 5 or 6. I used to accompany my elder brother everywhere. My uncle was also an international judo player, so I got the basic training at home,” Sushila told IndiaToday.In in an exclusive interview.

Sushila, who will be participating in her first Olympics, bagged the quota through the continental quota. Sushila, who competes in the 48kg category, has 989 points, which put her on the seventh spot in the Asian list. The continental quotas are allotted based on a judoka’s ranking in the region. Asia has 10 quota slots.

Fruitful stint in France

To sharpen her skills and techniques, Sushila Devi was training at an Olympic preparatory camp in Chateau Gontier, France, for a month.

“It was a very fruitful camp for me after the debacle in the World Championship in Hungary, where I lost in the first round. It was a different experience and a much-needed confidence booster for me,” said Sushila.

“Covid-19 has hampered my training and form. I desperately want to prove a point in Tokyo with my performance,” added Sushila.

Battling depression

A hamstring injury cost Sushila her place in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. She lost in the Asian Games trials, and the disappointment of not making it to Jakarta leads her to depression.

“Due to a hamstring tear, I lost in the Asian Games trials. I was devastated, and I was having the thought that my career is over,” recalled Sushila, who won a silver medal at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

However, Sushila’s coach, Jiwan Sharma, under whose watchful eyes she has been training for the past 11 years, kept her motivated and convinced her that it was not the end of the world.

“Any athlete can go into depression. Sushila’s case was no exception. As a coach, it was my job to keep her motivated and always remind her that this a process. You win some, you lose some, but one can’t turn their back to hard work. You have to respect the process,” said Jiwan.

Coach’s corner

With the Olympics less than two weeks away, Jiwan believed that Sushila would be an underdog, but a lot would depend upon her mental strength at the Olympics.

“Sushila’s mindset is of a winner. Aggression is her strength as well as her weakness. But, unfortunately, sometimes too much aggression has cost her the bouts. But qualifying for the Olympics is a big achievement, considering the disruption in training and events due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Jiwan Sharma, who was conferred Dronacharya Award in 2018.

“The current focus is on Sushila’s mental strength since the pressure at an Olympics is going to be completely different. Judo is like driving; you can’t lose your concentration till the bout is over. So the Olympics will be a real test of her mental strength and willpower,” said Sharma, who has been training Sushila at the Inspire Institute of Sport in Bellary, Karnataka.

Early life

However, Sushila has suffered one too many swings of misfortune in her journey to the Olympics.

Sushila’s father, Manihar Singh, never wanted her daughter to pick up Judo as the sport. However, Sushila’s mother, Chaobi Devi, backed her daughter’s dream and took her to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) hostel in Khuman Lampak in Imphal. The year was 2003, and Sushila was only eight years old.

“My father never wanted me to become a judo player. But, if not for my mother, I wouldn’t have been here. She always wanted me to become India’s top judo player and represent India at the Olympics one day. So I am living her dream,” says Sushila.

From 2003 to 2010, Sushila trained at Khuman Lampak in Imphal Manipur before moving to NIS Patiala.