Even as Indians are consumed by the Khali mania, Pune's own Deepak Sadavarte has been invited for the qualifiers of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), the only grappler to achieve the feat after Dalip Singh Rana or 'The Great Khali'.
The 24-year-old wrestler, who weighs 140 kg, hails from Ambegaon taluka. He hopes to soon brush shoulders with WWE stars like Show, Matt Hardy and Undertaker. Little did he know, when a few years ago he wrestled at local tournaments in villages, that he would be pitted against world champions at the game's biggest event — WWE.
"Last year, in August, I received an e-mail confirmation from the WWE that I was eligible for its qualifying round. Around three years of experience in the sport is their eligibility for qualifiers and I have over a decade's experience, so I easily fit into their requirements," Sadavarte owes his achievements to his grandfather and father, who are also renowned wrestlers.
Son of a compressor-operator at the Dimbe dam, Sadabhau Shankar Sadavarte, he started wrestling in local tournaments when he was just three years old. As he turned 14, he started training at Kolhapur's Motibaug Talim under Dadu Chowghule, his present coach. After completing his std X studies, he gave academics a miss and made wrestling his career.
Sadavarte devotes eight hours to his training regime daily. Beginning at 4 am, his regime includes a 6-km run, at least 6,000 push ups, mountain climbing, weight training and wrestling practice, And through this, he dreams to see himself on the world stage.
"I have been following the WWE closely and I was delighted when they invited me. It made me practise harder. Once I am there, I will be trained for 11 consecutive months. I will face the world's top wrestlers and, naturally, things won't be easy, but I am prepared. Once I complete the training, I will be eligible for the matches."
The total expenditure for the 11-month training in America will be around Rs 30 lakh, which Sadavarte is in the process of collecting through sponsorships. Once he has the required sum, he will book a ticket to the land of his dreams.
The five-feet, 11-inch tall wrestler, however, has been trying hard to meet his idol — the Great Khali — but has been unsuccessful. "I know he's back in India after a successful season and I want to meet him. He is my idol and what he has achieved is commendable. I told my friends in Mumbai to get in touch with him and convey the message," Sadavarte, who also holds a black belt in martial arts, said.
The wrestler, who also considers Anna Pawar from Karad and Dilip Kamble from Pune as his mentors, is confident that once he reaches the WWE, he will be successful.
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