Greater Noida, Nov 18 (PTI) As the world welcomed the new year with celebrations, former world youth champion Arundhati Choudhary was preparing for something entirely different — a surgery on her left wrist in a Mumbai hospital.
Doctors cut through the bone and inserted a plate secured with seven screws, leaving her with limited wrist movement.
“I was advised three months of complete rest. I couldn’t even tilt my hand. I couldn’t do push-ups and kept wondering how I would ever make a comeback. My dream of competing at the Paris Olympics had also ended,” Arundhati recalled on Tuesday.
The past year-and-a-half has tested the 23-year-old from Kota like never before. First came the heartbreak of missing out on the Paris Olympics after a Round of 16 loss in the final qualifiers in May 2024.
Then an injury to her dominant left hand, followed by the revelation that surgery was the only option. To add to her woes her mother’s health also kept worrying her.
“After the procedure, doctors warned her that a return to competition would take at least a year. But on Tuesday, in her first international appearance in nearly 18 months, Arundhati delivered an emphatic reminder of who she is.
She stopped World Cup medallist Leonie Muller with a dominant RSC (Referee Stops Contest) win to storm into the 70kg final of the World Cup Finals here.
“It’s my international comeback after 1.5 years, and to win by RSC makes me very happy,” she said after the bout.
“I was nervous, but then I reminded myself that I had waited 1.5 years for this moment. It has been a very difficult time for me. When I went for the Paris qualifiers, I had also received the news that my mother was in the ICU. This victory is for her,” said Arundhati.
If the surgery was the painful part, the road back to the ring was even harder, not just for Arundhati but also for her Services coach Chhote Lal Yadav, who took on the responsibility of keeping her physically ready while her injured hand healed.
“Her bone took longer than usual to recover. To make sure she stayed fit, I made her do leg exercises and running. Then we started one-handed training i.e. training only with her right hand. We worked on strength, worked on her hooks,” Yadav told PTI.
“Once her left hand was okay, we had to bring it up to the same level as the right. She began rehab, started putting weight slowly. Step by step, she got proper rest and regained strength,” he added.
Arundhati entered the competition directly in the semifinal stage, guaranteeing herself a medal before she even stepped into the ring. But she did more than just show up, she stunned Muller with her power, precision, and sharp hooks.
With a packed year in 2026 which includes the Asian Championships, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, Arundhati know she will be tested further. PTI APA ATK
Category: Breaking News
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