New Delhi: Every morning, Anshu Malik checks into the training hall at Nippon Sports Science University in Yokohama and spars with Japan’s wrestling royalty. Watched over by the legendary Kaori Icho, the first female in any sport to win individual-event gold medals at four consecutive Olympics (2004-16), and the 2004 Olympics bronze medallist Chikara Tanabe, India’s 57kg entry at Paris sharpens her technique against Japanese wrestlers who have ruled the lower divisions since women’s wrestling made its Olympics debut in Athens 2004.

After three hours of sparring with wrestlers such as four-time 50kg world champion Yui Sasaki, two-time defending world champion Akari Fujinami (53kg) -- unbeaten since 2017 -- and 57kg world No.1 and Paris top seed Tsugumi Sakurai, Anshu takes a break.

More punishment follows when she returns for the second session. The Land of the Rising Sun, Anshu hopes, will inspire a new dawn in her young career. At 22, she is already an Olympian and a World Championships silver medallist (2021), but her career is yet to take wings. Injuries haven’t helped, but with less than two weeks left for the Games, she is determined to make a splash in the French capital.

“I have improved a lot from Tokyo,” she says in a call from Yokohama. “In Tokyo, I was a teenager with technical deficiencies. I have matured as a wrestler in these three years.”

This is Anshu’s third training stint at Japan’s invitation-only facility which has supplied the country’s best wrestling talent over the years. After a month-long stint in February, Anshu spent 25 days there in May. Her current stint started on July 11.

The world-class guidance has been an eye opener for Anshu, whose improvement showed at the selection trial in Patiala in March for the Olympic qualifier. Against the experienced Sarita Mor, she used her opponent’s momentum to launch a four-point counter to run away with the bout, drawing a collective gasp from the packed hall.

“My body simply reacted at that instant. It’s a result of training. Sarita is very accomplished and beating her is never easy, but I believe the Japan stint has help me upgrade. Technically, they are much superior, probably the best in the world,” she says.

“I have been friends with Akari (Fujinami) since our sub-junior days and she has always been very sweet. Training with her has shown me what makes her a world-beater. It’s just a lot of repetitions day in, day out. Training with these wrestlers raises my level. Susaki and Akari are gold medal contenders, so sparring with them tells me where I stand and how much harder I need to work.”

Anshu’s 57kg division is among the toughest in the world. Besides Sakuri, Anshu’s major challengers include Nigeria’s Odunayo Folasade Adekuoroye, Moldova’s Anastasia Nichita and USA’s Helen Maroulis.

“I have competed against them and my bouts have always been close. I understand their gameplan well. Ultimately, it will boil down to that particular day.”

On her last trip to Japan, Fujinami invited Anshu and her father Dharamvir Malik home for dinner. The reigning world and Asian champion invited Anshu this time too, but she couldn’t go.

“Sundays are off days, so she insists we join her for dinner. But this time, since I am also travelling with my mother, I prefer to stick to Indian food, although I have opened up to sushi and ramen,” says Anshu, who counts cooking as a therapeutic hobby.

“I prepare my breakfast daily. It is my happy space.”

Dharamvir, who coaches his daughter, makes things tough for Anshu.

“Since the day we first stepped on the mat, papa told me to think of him as an enemy. He shows no mercy, gives no respite. Off the mat, he is a friend with whom I can share everything,” she says.

“It’s remarkable how he does it. The moment we step off the mat, he asks about my well-being. The moment we step on the mat, he is the relentless wrestler.”

“He has given me the freedom to chase my dreams. Olympic medal happens to be his dream too. I wish to fulfil it this time.”

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