Sushila Devi interview: ‘MC Mary Kom has been a great motivation for me’, says Olympic-bound judoka-Sports News , Firstpost

2014 Commonwealth Games silver-medallist Sushila Devi is gearing up for her maiden Olympics. Image courtesy: JSW Sports

MC Mary Kom, Mirabai Chanu, Bala Devi — these are some predominant names when it comes to well-known Manipuri athletes, but many may not yet have heard about 26-year-old judoka star Sushila Devi.

Sushila, who takes part in the 48kg category, recently qualified for her maiden Games at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 in Japan via a continental quota, despite losing in the first round of the World Championships held in Budapest in June.

Asia receives 10 continental slots each for men and women in Judo for the Games, and Sushila reached seventh place with 989 rating points.

This was despite losing the first round of the World Championships, which were held in Budapest in June. At the time, she had provisionally qualified for the Games, but her participation was only confirmed on 28 June, when the final list of qualifiers was announced.

Sushila is a silver-medallist at the 2014 Commonwealth Games at Glasgow, where she prevailed in the 48kg category. She reportedly suffered depression after missing the 2018 Asian Games due to injury, but a new chapter is set to begin in Sushila’s career when the Olympics kick off on 23 July.

Sushila will be the only Indian judoka at the Olympics in Tokyo.

Firstpost had a chat with the 26-year-old Sushila and her coach Jiwan Sharma, where she spoke on several topics, including MC Mary Kom’s influence on her career and how she overcame depression. Jiwan is a senior judo coach at Inspire Institute of Sport, which is located in Karnataka.

Excerpts from the interview:  

What does qualifying for your maiden Olympics mean to you?

Sushila Devi: I have always dreamt about playing in the Olympics, and now after qualifying my dream has come true. This is just the start of my journey. After this, my focus will be on Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games.

How much of an influence has MC Mary Kom been for you?

Sushila Devi: Last time, we had a boxing championship at Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS). So, Mary Kom had come there. We even invited her to the judo hall, and being a Manipuri, she shared her experience with me, and she also enquired about my training.

We had a discussion, she has guided me on how to go about taking my next step. I can’t become like her. She has achieved so many things, but if I could do half as much as her achievements that would be great for me. She is a great motivation for me.

How do you prepare for a crucial judo match?

Sushila: I prepare myself both physically and mentally for the game. That’s the way I warm up before a big match. I watch videos of opponents and analyse them, then decide how to go about it. It’s just a four-minute bout, so basically on watching them, it helps me how to play in each minute, how to attack every opponent and so on.

You’ve revealed that you suffered depression after missing out on Asian Games 2018 through injury. Can you describe how you overcame your mental struggle?

Sushila: I thought this was the end of my career. But, due to having a dream and willpower, I continued and again won one national gold and the Best Judoka Award. In 2019, my coach called me and said, ‘you are on top in ranking, so don’t miss any Olympics qualification events’. That time, I had joined Manipur Police. I participated in some events on government cost and some at my cost. I even sold my car. And my coach called me to IIS, under SAI, NCOE (National Centre of Excellence). Before that, JSW sponsored me from 2014 to 2018. And helped me a lot in my progress.

What are your areas of focus during training ahead of the Olympics?

Sushila: I used to lack concentration due to uncertainty. Yes, I neglected ne-waza techniques ( ground techniques ) earlier and now I am more focused on this, and becoming mentally strong to face any opponent.

You’ve been training at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) for a few years now. How has training there helped you?

Sushila: IIS has world-class facilities with my coach Jiwan Sharma, strength and conditioning expert Spencer sir and CEO Rushdee sir, Rebecca mam, Dhananjay sir and everyone helped me a lot. I am thankful to Parth (Founder and Director of IIS) sir who has made such an institute for us.

Now to the coach, how is Sushila’s preparation going on and what can we expect from her in Tokyo?

Jiwan: Her preparations are going good, she is mentally and physically ready for the competition. She is performing smartly and I don’t see Sushila doing tactical mistakes anymore, so I am hoping she will give her 100 percent.