When Hetal Dave looks back on her journey, one truth stands out: “I have given 32 years to my game and I’m still looking for a job.”

Hetal isn’t just any athlete; she holds the title of being India’s first and only professional female sumo wrestler. Her path wasn’t paved with coaches or sponsors; instead, it was built on sheer grit.

“I’m the first and only female sumo wrestler from India. I was the only woman representing our country in over 200 games,” she tells Brut India in an interview.

Starting as a six-year-old judo trainee, Hetal stumbled upon sumo wrestling almost by destiny. “We only knew Karate existed… So when I started doing judo, I was doing something different there as well. And then, when I came to know about sumo wrestling, it was a totally different geography… I

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