Hetal Dave is an Indian sumo wrestler. As of 2024, she is India’s first and only female professional sumo wrestler. She is ranked fifth on the list of the world’s top female sumo wrestlers. She received the Shiv Chhatrapati Award from the Government of Maharashtra. She is also a judo coach.
Wiki/Biography
Hetal Sudhir Dave (also known as Hetal Sujit Sharma after marriage) was born on December 8, 1987 in Rajasthan, India (age 36 in 2024). Her zodiac sign is Sagittarius. Hetal holds a degree in commerce.
Photos of young Hetal Dev
appearance
Height: 5′6″
Weight (approximately): 80kg
Hair color: black
Eye color: black
family and caste
Hetal Dev was born into a Brahmin family in Rajasthan.
Parents and siblings
Hetal’s father’s name was Sudhir Dev. She has a brother named Akshay who is also a sumo wrestler.
Hetal Dave (far right) with her parents and brother
husband and children
Hetal is married to Sujit Sharma. The couple got married on April 26, 2018.
Hetal Dave and Sujeet Sharma
Profession
Hetal Dave has been interested in sports since she was a child and started studying judo when she was five years old. She has been training in judo for over ten years. She was introduced to sumo when her coach Cawas Billimoria (Indian judo champion and sumo professional coach) discussed the sport. Hertar’s father and brother encouraged her to take up the sport. Training was difficult because Hetal had no girls to train with, so she started training with her brother and other male players.
Hetal Dev (left) practices sumo wrestling with her brother
Since there are no sumo arenas in India, she had to practice in open spaces. She began training by watching men in the sport, then turned to YouTube to familiarize herself with the basics of sumo wrestling. Hetal started practicing at Oval Maidan in south Mumbai. She faced problems obtaining funds to attend events and tournaments. Hertar said in an interview about her financial difficulties,
The association can only forward the names to the World Championship organizers. We had to pay for our own tickets, accommodation, basically everything. People don’t know much about sumo and therefore don’t care. That’s why I haven’t been able to attend since 2012. Some potential sponsors would even say “Ladki hoke sumo khelte ho (Are you going to play sumo as a girl?)”, which is ugly.
Although India has the Sumo Federation of India, they do not provide financial support. Hertar also provides wrestling and judo training to students from different schools. She teaches self-defence and judo at the BJPC Institute Jr. College and Walsingham House School in Mumbai.
Contest
In 2008, Hetal competed in her first international championship, the 2008 World Championships in Estonia. She was sponsored by a Gujarati businessman who read her story in Gujarat Midday. She also participated in the 2009 World Games in Taipei, Taiwan, and finished fifth in the middleweight category. Hetal is the only female competitor to represent India at the World Games. She also competed in Poland and Finland.
Hetal Dave in sumo pose
sumo didi
Sumo Didi is a film based on the life and wrestling career of Hetal Dev. The film will be released in 2023 and is the only Indian film to be screened at the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival and the 35th Palm Springs International Film Festival, where it was included in the “Best Film Festival” list and received warm applause. Actress Shriyam Bhagnani plays the role of Hetal in the film.
Stills from the movie “Sumo Didi” based on the life of Hetal Dave
dispute
Cases regarding anticipatory bail
In 2021, Hetal Dave had applied for anticipatory bail in a case registered with the Mumbai Police under the criminal jurisdiction of the Bombay High Court. The case involves charges related to financial transactions and fraud under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Sudha Sharma, aunt of the complainant (Hetal Dave), was accused of carrying out fraudulent activities in connection with housing projects. Sharma allegedly convinced Hetal to make payments under false pretenses, leading to accusations of cheating. Hertar’s legal counsel claimed the charges were fabricated. They highlighted differences in the case and stressed that Hetal’s involvement was far less involved than the conduct alleged by Sharma. The court dismissed Sudha Sharma’s anticipatory bail application but granted relief to Hetal Dave. The court also ordered Hertar to cooperate with investigators if needed.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- In 2008, Hetal Dave’s name was entered in the Limca Book of Records.
- In 2009, Hetal Dave was named to Newsweek’s list of “150 Fearless Women.”
- Hetal Dave won the Women Empowerment Women Achievement Award 2016 in the Sports Category.
- In 2019, Hetal Dave received the Female Super Achiever Award at the 6th World Women’s Leadership Conference and Awards Ceremony.
Hetal Dave poses with her Women of Super Achievement Award
- Hetal Dave holds the yokozuna rank, the highest level in sumo wrestling.
- Hetal Dave has been awarded the Maharashtra State Achievement Award 2021 by Femina for “Outstanding Contribution to Sports”.
Stills of Hetal Dave delivering her acceptance speech at the Maharashtra Achievement Awards 2021
tattoo
Hetal has a tattoo of an infinity symbol on his left hand with the word “Faith” written on it.
Photos of Hetal Dave with tattoo on left hand
Facts/Trivia
- Hetal Dave is popularly known as “Sumo Didi”.
- Hetal Dave loves animals and has a pet dog named Mowgli.
Hetal Dave and her pet dog Mogli
- Hetal said in an interview that she once watched martial arts movies with Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee to motivate herself.
- Hetal failed to reach ninth standard twice until she transferred to another school that supported her athletic training.
- Hetal follows a strict vegetarian diet. In an interview, she said her standard diet consists of rice, dal, vegetables or chapatis. She also said she occasionally eats junk food, such as McDonald’s “McAloo Tikki” burgers.
- When Hetal went to Taiwan to participate in the World Championships in 2009, she had to borrow a mawasi (a belt worn by sumo wrestlers) from the Japanese team to tie it for her because she didn’t know how to tie it.
Hetal Dave wearing traditional sumo wrestling Mawashi
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education