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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
All those efforts finally paid off when Debi won the silver medal in the women\u2019s 62kg category at the Khelo India Tribal Games here.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThis 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\u2019t have the money to pay \u20b91000 as rent, so I had to take up a part-time job for a year,\u201d said Debi, who belongs to the Bodo tribe.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIn 2022, I worked at an Easy Bazaar store in Bokakhat for a monthly salary of \u20b92500. In 2023, I got a job at Bon Villa Resort in Kaziranga, where I earned around \u20b97000 per month. I used to clean the swimming pool there.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cAfter 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\u2014I now want to work even harder and win gold,\u201d she said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Coach Anustup recalled, \u201cI 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\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Coach Anustup recalled, \u201cI 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\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cMy in-laws are very supportive, and my husband, who works in Bengaluru, constantly supports me by sending money so that I don\u2019t 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,\u201d she added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n