Who is Seema Bisla? The wrestler who is yet to compete at Tokyo Olympics

While one of them is one of the most popular figures in Indian sports and one of India's biggest medal bet in this edition of the Games, Bajrang Punia. Who is the other?

The other is also a wrestler. A wrestler who goes by the name Seema Bisla.

The 29-year-old Bisla had qualified for the Tokyo Olympics via the World Wrestling Qualifiers in May this year, but has quite frankly flown under the radar.

Hailing from the northern state of Haryana, Seema Bisla was born into a family of farmers cum wrestling enthusiasts. With encouragement from her father, Seema took up wrestling pretty early in her life.

Unlike most of the wrestlers, who usually starts in the lightweight category and then move into the heavier categories, Seema started off with 67kg before switching into 50kg – the weight division she will be competing in at Tokyo.

Though she started pretty early, it was not until 2017 that Seema Bisla had any major success in her career.

With her father down with cancer and he family undergoing great financial struggles during this point of time, all she wanted through wrestling was a job with stable income which would help in her father's treatment.

This was when she met her now coach Paramjeet Yadav. Having not had a single coach who took interest in her progress, Seema was taken aback by Yadav's interest in her development.

Seema Bisla won her first-ever national championships in 2017 under the guidance of Paramjeet Yadav and there has been no looking back since.

Seema Bisla will take on Tunisia's Sarra Hamdi in her first-ever Olympic bout tomorrow, and will have to face the reigning World Champion from Azerbaijan Mariya Standnik if she wins against the Tunisian.