- Nishu won her first Khelo India University Games (KIUG) gold in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur on Thursday
- Nishu has represented India and has a bronze medal in the Under-23 World Championships
- The 23-year-old, who trains at SAI Hisar, comes from a non-wrestling background, making her rise remarkable
Bharatpur, November 28: India and Guru Kashi University wrestler Nishu carries an unusual calmness for a 23-year-old with such accomplishments. Quiet, composed, and almost serene, she maintained the same expression during all her three bouts across two days — bouts that eventually earned her the coveted Khelo India University Games (KIUG) gold in the 53kg category at the Lohagarh Stadium in Rajasthan on Thursday.
Once you speak to her, however, the calm begins to make sense. It is grief — deep and old — that has perhaps shaped her personality. Nishu lost her older brother to a brain tumour when she was a small child. Even though years have passed, such a loss leaves a lasting layer of sobriety on those left behind.
On Thursday, nurtured at the SAI Training Centre in Hisar, Nishu needed just one more win to ensure gold — and she achieved it in outright dominance. Only seconds into the match, her opponent Samruddhi Sandip Ghorpade from Shivaji Stadium was left with no chance. Nishu had previously won bronze at the 2023 KIUG in Varanasi, so this improvement was meaningful. “For me every competition is important. You learn wherever you choose to play. Very happy to win this gold, now I have ticked this box,” she said after the match.
Her achievements stretch far beyond Thursday’s medal. Earlier this year, Nishu brought home a bronze for India from the Under-23 World Championships in Serbia. She also competed at a senior-level championship in Croatia, where she did not medal but impressed observers with her performance and grit. That she still says “every competition is important” shows how grounded and hungry she remains.
Nishu has previously won gold at the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) as well. Coming from a family without any history in wrestling makes her journey even more remarkable. Her father works as a driver, and her parents have stood by her unconditionally. “My father and mother have always treated me as a son. They have been very supportive. I wouldn’t be here without their support. Whenever I needed money or other help, I don’t think they ever said no,” she said.
Training at the SAI Centre in Hisar, Nishu now has her eyes set on the Asian Games next year in Nagoya, Japan. To get there, she must first qualify for the National Camp through strong performances in the Senior Nationals and the Federation Cup. Regardless of what comes next, the wrestler from Jind — with no wrestling legacy behind her — has already come an incredibly long way. And if her determination is any indication, she is destined to go much further.