Who is Reetika Hooda? India’s final hope for another wrestling medal at Paris Olympics 2024

Grappler Reetika Hooda is India's final hope to get another wrestling medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Saturday. The sixth and final wrestler of the Indian contingent, Hooda, will compete against Bernadett Nagy of Hungary in her opening round. Nagy is a two-time bronze medallist at the European Championships.

Hooda's match will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Golf player Aditi Ashok will also compete for a medal today. However, she must perform outstandingly well to secure a medal in golf.

So far, the Indian contingent has won six medals at the Paris Olympics, which include one silver and five bronze. Reetika will begin her round of 16 campaign in the women's 76 kg freestyle category. If Hooda manages to defeat Nagy and move ahead in the championship, she could be up against the No.1 seed Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyztan.

What makes Reetika Hooda stand apart from other wrestlers of the country at the Paris Olympics 2024 is the fact that she is the first Indian to qualify in the heavyweight class of 76 kg. The weight category is also new for Hooda, who used to compete in 72 kg before jumping to a higher weight class last year.

‘Munch, train, munch, train, and repeat’: Sneak peek into Hooda's schedule

After Vinesh Phogat's heartbreaking exit from the Paris Olympics 2024 because of being overweight, the importance of maintaining weight below the permissible limit is not hidden from anyone. The story is completely different for Hooda who has to constantly ensure that she takes additional small meals to gain strength and maintain her weight above 76 kg.

Her natural body weight is around 74-75 kg. So, it was never a great struggle to bring it to 72, not even now. Her body type is such that weight drops quickly.

But the real struggle is to take the weight to 78kg.

"I just munch, train, munch, train and repeat. Of course, it's healthy protein intake. I have a different struggle," Hooda told PTI in an interview.

"I have 3 meals in my schedule and I have to eat in between as well. Before sleeping also, I take something. My nutritionist Mitali decides what I need to eat and mother ensures that I have that.

"I had to start eating chicken for protein intake. It was difficult to develop a taste for that. My mother tried a lot of combinations and now I have settled for a semi-gravy type chicken. No one eats chicken in my family," she added.