Four days might not seem like a significant amount of time, but that’s all it took for a 12-year-old Arohi Ganesh Aware to gather her strength and step back on to the wrestling mat. Four days after losing her father, the man who had dreamt of seeing Arohi win the Olympics gold for India in wrestling.
Arohi, who resides in the remote village of Revadi, a few kilometres away from Satara in Maharashtra, is the first female wrestler of her village. A place where her father dared to dream. To him, wrestling was a promise that his daughter would grow up strong, fearless and independent.
Arohi’s teacher Devanand Randive, in an exclusive conversation with RevSportz, recalled: “When her father used to come to school, he would tell us ‘If she reads one less page of her notebook, that’s okay. But I want to see her win a gold for the country’.”
Her father’s pride lives on in memory and in Arohi’s discipline and determination to realise his dream of her becoming a wrestler. Every morning, Arohi is up at 5 o’clock. She trains daily at a small akhada, a few kilometres away from her village.
“I was back on the mat four days after my father’s demise, ” said Arohi in a conversation with Siddhesh Lokare. “It was my father’s dream for me to become a wrestler. He is no more, but he told me that I have to do well in life and take care of my mom. I do think I’m already doing it.”
Her biggest inspiration is the pioneer of women’s wrestling in India — Sakshi Malik.
“She’s a very hardworking wrestler. She has participated in DSO (District State Organisation) competitions where she won a silver after losing in the finals. She has also been registered in Judo, where she has qualified for local division competitions.” said Randive.
RevSportz also spoke to content creator Siddhesh Lokare, the one who documented her journey. “She is incredible. When I shook her hand I was surprised at her strength.”
Arohi has a quiet conviction in her voice, one that only belongs to precocious children, ones that grow up too soon.
Arohi’s mother became her pillar after her father’s passing, holding together a household that had lost its sole breadwinner.
“Her father’s dream was to make her a wrestler; I want her to become Hind Kesari (the Lion of India). I want her to be strong and independent so that she never feels the void of her father’s absence,” said Arohi’s mother as she broke down in tears (in conversation with Siddhesh Lokare).
Arohi is determined to realise her father’s dream but she is in dire need of facilities, equipment and financial support. While it is easy to romanticise Arohi’s resilience, what her family faces is very real. Her teacher and local well-wishers have been doing their best to raise donations for Arohi as well as the school. They took to social media for support but their reach has been limited.
One of the well-wishers is Lokare whose reel about Arohi reached thousands online. Radnive explained how he has recently been receiving a few calls for support since the reel went viral.
In that reel, Arohi looks straight into the camera and says: “I was back on the mat four days after my father’s demise.”
But her story is not one of tragedy. It is one of purpose, perseverance and determination. She could be the next chapter in India’s wrestling legacy. Although she already stands as a reminder that dreams born out of love and loss are unstoppable.
With credits to Siddhes Lokare for first documenting Arohi’s story on social media