Currently ranked 4th in India, Taekwondo athlete Shruti Singh has overcome a number of odds in his career so far. From societal pressures to injuries, she has faced every obstacle like the champion she is and is now setting his sights on the Asian Games and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In this exclusive interview, Shruti Singh shares details about her journey so far, proudest achievements of her career, overcoming challenges, importance of mental strength, future goals and her message to girls who wish to take up combat sports professionally.
Q 1) Tell us about your Taekwondo journey and what motivated you to take it up professionally?
My journey began in 2013 when I was in 8th standard. My school had Taekwondo coaching which caught my attention. I played some school games and the Open National Championship which was a lot of fun. My parents used to be very happy when I would win medals and that is what I enjoyed the most. As time passed I started becoming more interested in it and then I got to know about the Peace Taekwondo Academy. After joining the academy, I started to participate in more competitions and I recently participated in the Women’s World Championship as well. I watched a lot of senior players at the academy who used to train very hard and win a lot of medals. I saw that they had a very big reputation in India and they were doing very well for the country. That was a very big motivation for me because I could see myself doing that one day.
Q 2) Apart from being All India rank 4, what are some of the proudest moments in your career?
Playing at the Women’s World Championship was a very proud moment. That was where I increased my rank to number 4. My match against an Olympian was very hard fought and close till the very end. Playing against an excellent athlete and giving them a tough fight gave me a lot of confidence and pride.
Q 3) What are some of the biggest challenges that you have faced in your journey so far? How did you accomplish them?
I would say my biggest struggle happened in 2019 when I suffered a major back injury which left me unable to walk. Overcoming that was very difficult for me because I had to take proper rest and focus on my recovery and at the same time I was also thinking about my game. That was a very big challenge because it was a different kind of injury for me and not having any experience in dealing with it made it more. Returning to training was very difficult because my body was not allowing me to do certain things that I wanted to. After some patience and guidance, I did manage to overcome it. That wasn't the end of it as due to the back injury, I injured my hamstring as well. It was the first injury after which I got an idea of how to handle my body after an injury. Dealing with injuries became easier after I recovered from the back injury.
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Q 4) How important is mental strength to compete at the highest level?
Mental strength is very important in Taekwondo especially when you need to reach a certain level. Mental strength is required when we train for crucial fights as we tend to change diet plans, where injuries become a part and parcel of the game so you need to be mentally strong to overcome them.
Q 5) What is your message to all the girls who wish to pursue Taekwondo/combat sports professionally?
My message to all the girls who want to pursue any combat sports is to keep your willpower and motivation strong, have a never give up attitude because certain issues like family problems usually arise when they hear a girl is pursuing Taekwondo as a professional sport.
Q 6) What are your future goals and how do you plan to achieve them?
My main goal is to compete till I am 40 years old. I want to participate in any tournament, be it a small or a big event. My current goal is to qualify for the Asian Games and 2024 Olympics.
