From Cleaning Pools to khelo India Tribal Games : Golaghat’s Devi Daimari Wins Silver

28-year-old wrestler overcame orphanhood, odd jobs and a two-hour training window to claim 62kg medal; eyes gold next .
The journey of wrestler Devi Daimari from hardship to the podium is a study in resolve and resilience. Orphaned at age seven, the 28-year-old from Dineswar village in Assam’s Golaghat district lived with her uncle and aunt and took up odd jobs to fund her training.
Her perseverance paid off at the Khelo India Tribal Games in Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh, where she won silver in the women’s 62kg wrestling category.
“This medal is the result of my hard work. I started wrestling in 2022 at the Khelo India centre near Kaziranga in Bokakhat. I needed to rent a room near the centre for training, but I couldn’t afford the Rs 1,000 rent. So I took a part-time job for a year,” Daimari said.

In 2022, she worked at an Easy Bazaar store in Bokakhat for Rs 2,500 a month. In 2023, she joined Bon Villa Resort in Kaziranga for around Rs 7,000 a month, cleaning the swimming pool.

After work, she could train for only two hours each evening. “Whatever I have achieved, including this silver medal, is because of that effort. But I am still not satisfied. I want to work harder and win gold,” she added.
Before wrestling, Daimari was involved in powerlifting and arm wrestling. She met Assam team coach Anupam Narah in 2022 at an arm wrestling competition in Bokakhat. He encouraged her to switch to wrestling.
“She agreed after thinking it over. I advised her to stay near the training centre, but she said she couldn’t afford the rent. We helped her get a job through the district wrestling association and arranged a bicycle for her. She used that bicycle for both work and training,” Narah said.

In her first year of training, Daimari qualified for the Senior State Championship in Visakhapatnam. Two years later, in 2024, she won gold at the same event.

Daimari married in 2025 and said the support of her husband and in-laws has boosted her morale. “My in-laws are very supportive and my husband, who works in Bengaluru, keeps sending me money so that I don’t face any difficulty,” she said. In 2022 Switched from powerlifting/arm wrestling to wrestling. Worked at Easy Bazaar for Rs 2,500/month. Qualified for Senior State Championship.
In 2023 Joined Bon Villa Resort for Rs 7,000/month. Trained while commuting by bicycle.
In 2024 Won gold at Senior State Championship.