Gujarat's Himani Hirani Wins Gold in International Wrestling Competition

Himani Hirani, the daughter of an auto rickshaw driver from Vadodara, Gujarat, has won the gold medal in the under-71 kg category at an international wrestling competition in Turkey. She defeated her Russian opponent in the final. Her victory is being compared to the real-life inspiration of the film Dangal, which shows how sports can change the lives of people from very ordinary backgrounds. Himani comes from a simple family. Her father Prakashbhai drives an auto rickshaw and her mother Meenaben is a housewife. Both Himani and her sister Megha chose wrestling as their career after watching their parents'hit film Dangal. The film shows how a father trains his daughters to become champion wrestlers. Inspired by this story, Prakashbhai and Meenaben support their daughters'dream and both start training at Guru Narayan Akhara in Salatwada, Vadodara. Meenaben goes on to compete in the under-71 weight category finals of the Turkish International Weightlifting Championships. She trains at a high level.