Divya Kakran is perchance Indian wrestling’s brightest prospect. At just 19-years of age, she is already a national champion, has more than 60 medals (including 17 gold in the Delhi State Championship) under her belt, and has won the Bharat Kesari title eight times.
Divya’s initiation to competitive wrestling began in grave situations. Rooting to a family of traditional Pehelwans (wrestlers), Divya kick-started her wrestling career by watching her brothers wrestle and eventually started challenging and pinning boys, something that was novel. Victories were rewarded handsomely by the spectators and Divya’s earnings through the dangals made a huge bulk of her family’s income. Winning was driven by a powerful need to survive, Divya knew if she didn’t win her family would suffer.
From then to now, she never learned to give up. Today she is India’s youngest ‘Dangal Queen’, someone who knows no fear. She is very clear on what she wants next, she has now set her eyes on the biggest trophy as she is now training inexorably to prepare for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.