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{{short description|Indian wrestler}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2018}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| headercolor =
| name = Pooja Dhanda
| image = File:Pooja Dhanda, Arjuna Awardee (Wrestling), at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on August 29, 2019 (cropped).jpg
| caption =
| birth_name =
| fullname =
| nickname =
| nationality = [[India]]n
| residence = Village. Budana
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1994|1|1}}<ref name="DoB">{{cite web |title=Pooja, Dhanda (IND) |url=https://www.iat.uni-leipzig.de/datenbanken/dbfoeldeak/daten.php?spid=65A6E07259EF480C9233D58AC1BB528A|publisher=[[United World Wrestling]] |accessdate=26 February 2018}}</ref>
| birth_place = Budana village, [[Hisar district]], [[Haryana]], India<ref name="Sharma, 2018">{{cite news |last1=Sharma |first1=Chetan |title=Pooja Dhanda: Star in the making |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/msn-mail-today/story/pooja-dhanda-star-in-the-making-1168801-2018-02-13 |accessdate=6 April 2018 |work=[[India Today]] |date=13 February 2018 |archiveurl=https://archive.is/20180227181752/https://www.indiatoday.in/msn-mail-today/story/pooja-dhanda-star-in-the-making-1168801-2018-02-13 |archivedate=27 February 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| height = 162 cm<ref name="DoB" />
| weight = 57 kg
| country = India
| sport = [[Wrestling]]
| spouse =
| event = [[Freestyle wrestling]]
| collegeteam = government college of Hissar
| team =
| turnedpro =
| partner =
| former_partner =
| retired =
| coach = Kuldeep Singh Bishnoi, Chander Soni
| Job = [[Wrestling Coach at Haryana Sports Department]]
| coaching =
| worlds =
| regionals =
| nationals =
| olympics =
| highestranking =
| show-medals =
| updated = 25 August 2018
| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry | {{IND}} }}{{MedalCompetition|[[World Wrestling Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2018 World Wrestling Championships|2018 Budapest]]|[[2018 World Wrestling Championships – Women's freestyle 57 kg|57 kg]]}}
{{MedalSport|Women's [[Freestyle wrestling]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Youth Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2010 Summer Youth Olympics|2010 Singapore]]|Girls' freestyle 60 kg}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Asian Championships| 2014 Asian Wrestling Championships]] }}
{{MedalBronze | [[ 2014 Senior Asian Wrestling Championship| 2014 Astana]] | 58 kg }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games |Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Championships]] }}
{{MedalBronze | [[ 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games| 2017 Ashgabat ]] | 58 kg }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Commonwealth Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[2018 Commonwealth Games|2018 Gold Coast]]| [[Wrestling at the 2018 Commonwealth Games – Women's freestyle 57 kg|57 kg]]}}
}}

'''Pooja Dhanda''' (born 1 January 1994) is an Indian [[Wrestling|wrestler]] from Budana village of [[Hisar district]] in [[Haryana]],<ref name="dhan1">[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/wrestling/once-a-judoka-pooja-dhanda-wants-to-win-laurels-in-wrestling/articleshow/63067504.cms Once a judoka, Pooja Dhanda wants to win laurels in wrestling], [[Times of India]], 25 Feb 2018.</ref> who won Bronze medal at the 2018 [[World championships in WWE|World Championships at Budapest]] in 57 kg weight class. She won Silver medals at [[2010 Summer Youth Olympics]] and [[2018 Commonwealth Games]] at Gold Coast in 60 kg and 57 kg category respectively. The grappler also won a Bronze at the [[2014 Asian Wrestling Championships|2014 Asian Wrestling Championship]]. Pooja has defeated [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] and [[World Championship Wrestling|World Championship]] medalists. <ref>{{Cite web|title=पूजा ढांडा: जिन्होंने कुश्ती को सफलता के शिखर तक पहुंचाया|url=https://www.olympicchannel.com/hi/stories/features/detail/pooja-dhanda-india-women-wrestling/|access-date=2021-02-17|website=Olympic Channel}}</ref> Government of India honoured her with the [[Arjuna Award|Arjuna award]] for outstanding performance in the field of Sports.<ref>{{Cite web|title=pooja dhanda arjuna award|url=https://www.aninews.in/news/sports/others/proud-feeling-of-receiving-arjuna-award-says-pooja-dhanda20190828152846/|website=[[ANI NEWS]]}}</ref>

==Early life==
Pooja was born in Budana village of [[Hisar district]] in Haryana.<ref name=dhan1/> The daughter of a tractor driver with the Haryana Animal Husbandry Centre in Hisar, Dhanda started as a [[judo]] player at [[Mahabir Stadium]] but switched to wrestling in 2009.<ref name="dhan1" />Pooja Dhanda is the daughter of Kamlesh Dhanda and father, Ajmer who was an athlete himself.<ref>{{Cite web|title=पूजा ढांडा: जिन्होंने कुश्ती को सफलता के शिखर तक पहुंचाया|url=https://www.olympicchannel.com/hi/stories/features/detail/pooja-dhanda-india-women-wrestling/|access-date=2021-02-17|website=Olympic Channel}}</ref> She began her sporting journey with [[Judo]] in 2007. She was still below the minimum age required to participate in wrestling federation competitions, and hence started playing Judo. Pooja first secured a Bronze medal at [https://onlinejua.org/asian-judo-championships.phpChampionship Asian Cadet Judo Championship] at Hyderabad in 2007 and then won a Gold at the same event in its 2008 edition.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-02-23|title=भारतीय कुश्ती की नई 'दंगल गर्ल'|url=https://www.bbc.com/hindi/media-43171979|access-date=2021-02-17|website=BBC News हिंदी|language=hi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-09-08|title=Judoka-turned wrestler Pooja Dhanda up for World Wrestling Championship challenge|url=https://thebridge.in/featured/2019-world-wrestling-championship-judoka-turned-wrestler-pooja-dhanda-up-kazakhstan-challenge/|access-date=2021-02-17|website=The Bridge|language=en-GB}}</ref>

Despite the achievements, former India wrestler and coach Kripa Shankar Bishnoi advised her to make wrestling her career. Pooja began to train for wrestling under coach Subhash Chander Soni at Hisar in 2009. <ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-09-08|title=Judoka-turned wrestler Pooja Dhanda up for World Wrestling Championship challenge|url=https://thebridge.in/featured/2019-world-wrestling-championship-judoka-turned-wrestler-pooja-dhanda-up-kazakhstan-challenge/|access-date=2021-02-17|website=The Bridge|language=en-GB}}</ref>

In 2010 Pooja won Silver in wrestling at the [[2010 Summer Youth Olympics|Summer Youth Olympics]] in Singapore. <ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-09-08|title=Judoka-turned wrestler Pooja Dhanda up for World Wrestling Championship challenge|url=https://thebridge.in/featured/2019-world-wrestling-championship-judoka-turned-wrestler-pooja-dhanda-up-kazakhstan-challenge/|access-date=2021-02-17|website=The Bridge|language=en-GB}}</ref>Pooja won against famous grappler [[Babita Kumari|Babita Phogat]] in the final of the National Championship in 2013 and then won a Bronze medal at the Asian Championship in 2014. But a [[Ligament|ligament injury]] in 2015 almost ended her career.<ref>{{Cite web|title=पूजा ढांडा: जिन्होंने कुश्ती को सफलता के शिखर तक पहुंचाया|url=https://www.olympicchannel.com/hi/stories/features/detail/pooja-dhanda-india-women-wrestling/|access-date=2021-02-17|website=Olympic Channel}}</ref>

The challenge was not only psychological but also of lack of financial resources. She had to undergo surgeries in Mumbai and follow a long process of rehabilitation. Government paid for her treatment, but rehabilitation costs, physiotherapist’s fee and rent were significant. Employed with Haryana Sports Department as a wrestling coach, Pooja was on leave without pay. <ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-09-08|title=Judoka-turned wrestler Pooja Dhanda up for World Wrestling Championship challenge|url=https://thebridge.in/featured/2019-world-wrestling-championship-judoka-turned-wrestler-pooja-dhanda-up-kazakhstan-challenge/|access-date=2021-02-17|website=The Bridge|language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Career==
After switching to wrestling in 2009, as a young sportswoman, Pooja's career took off on a promising note when she won the silver medal at the [[2010 Youth Olympics|2010 Summer Youth Olympics]] in the 60 kg category.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/commonwealth-games-2018-pooja-dhanda-aims-for-gold-in-debut-after-recovering-from-career-threatening-injury-4377333.html|title=Commonwealth Games 2018: Pooja Dhanda aims for gold in debut after recovering from career-threatening injury - Firstpost|website=www.firstpost.com|access-date=2018-08-25}}</ref> After she debuted in the national championship in 2013,she participated in the [[World Wrestling Championships|World Wrestling Championship]] for the first time but was out of the event after a loss in the first round.<ref>{{Cite web|title=पूजा ढांडा: जिन्होंने कुश्ती को सफलता के शिखर तक पहुंचाया|url=https://www.olympicchannel.com/hi/stories/features/detail/pooja-dhanda-india-women-wrestling/|access-date=2021-02-17|website=Olympic Channel}}</ref> she defeated [[Babita Kumari|Babita Phogat]] in the final, followed by a Bronze medal in [[Asian Wrestling Championships|Asian Wrestling Championship]] at Astana in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|title=पूजा ढांडा: जिन्होंने कुश्ती को सफलता के शिखर तक पहुंचाया|url=https://www.olympicchannel.com/hi/stories/features/detail/pooja-dhanda-india-women-wrestling/|access-date=2021-02-17|website=Olympic Channel}}</ref> and has since won all four senior national championships by 2017. In the [[Pro Wrestling League]] season 3, she has defeated World and Olympic champion [[Helen Maroulis]] of the USA twice, World Championship silver medallist and Olympic bronze medallist [[Odunayo Adekuoroye]] of Nigeria and World Championship silver medallist [[Marwa Amri]].<ref name=dhan1/>

Pooja was screened and originally selected to play the role of [[Babita Kumari|Babita Phogat]] in blockbuster ''[[Dangal (film)|Dangal]]'' (2016), which she could not play due to an injury. However, Pooja later competed against and defeated senior [[Phogat sister]] [[Geeta Phogat]] in the real-life [[2018 Commonwealth Games]] selection trials.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/wrestling/pooja-defeats-real-life-dangal-girl-geeta/articleshow/62313686.cms|title=Pooja defeats real-life 'Dangal' girl Geeta - Times of India|work=The Times of India|access-date=2018-08-25}}</ref>

She won silver medal in the [[2018 Commonwealth Games]] at [[Gold Coast, Queensland|Gold Coast]] in the women's 57 kg freestyle wrestling after losing to Nigeria's [[Odunayo Adekuoroye]] 7-5 in the final at the [[Carrara Indoor Stadium|Carrara Sports Arena 1]].<ref name=pooj2>[http://www.timesnownews.com/sports/commonwealth-games-2018-cwg/article/cwg-2018-pooja-dhanda-wins-silver-in-57-kg-freestyle-to-continue-indias-medal-rush-in-wrestling/216898 CWG 2018: Pooja Dhanda wins silver, Divya Kakran bags bronze as India's medal rush in wrestling continue], Times Now News, 13 April 2018.</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dhanda, Pooja}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1994 births]]
[[Category:People from Hisar (city)]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Haryana]]
[[Category:Female sport wrestlers from Haryana]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian people]]
[[Category:Wrestlers at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games medallists in wrestling]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for India]]
[[Category:Wrestlers at the 2018 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Wrestlers at the 2018 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games competitors for India]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Arjuna Award]]
[[Category:World Wrestling Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Asian Wrestling Championships medalists]]

{{India-wrestling-bio-stub}}

Pooja Dhanda - Revision history

>Qwerfjkl (bot): Removed link(s) to title (CW Error #48) (via Bandersnatch)