Chicken biriyani to taste better for this kabaddi player after clinching gold at Asian Games 2022 | Pune News

“I have been training and following a strict diet since I was around seven-years-old. Chicken biryani is my favourite thing to eat in the whole world but I would not touch anything that my dietician refused, even if it was in front of me,” said Shinde.

“My biggest dream was to play at the Asian Games. This year, I fulfilled my dream and now that I am finally home, I cannot wait to have as much biryani as I like,” she said.

Daughter of a national-medalist in boxing, Pradeep Shinde encouraged Snehal right from the start. She began her journey as a seven-year-old at a kabaddi club in Swargate. The 30-year-old spent years training at the Rajmata Jijau Club at Swargate under the guidance of her coaches Rajesh Dhamdhere and Jayant Warghade.

She went on to become the winner of gold medals at the Junior Asian Championship (Malaysia, 2009) and South Asian Games (Assam, 2017). Snehal also won the highest sports award in Maharashtra—the Shiv Chhatrapati Award in 2014.

“I had to miss the 2014 Asian Games due to an ankle injury. In 2017, I had a knee surgery which got aggravated by another injury, so I had to miss the 2018 Asian Games as well. But my family has been relentless in their support,” said Snehal, recalling the hours her husband spent driving her to the practice ground every day and waiting for her until she was done.

Snehal spent most of last year in training camps at various places. “We had a big responsibility on us to change the colour of the medal– we had lost the finals and won a silver medal last time. I am very happy that we fulfilled that responsibility and brought home the gold medal,” she said.

Snehal now hopes to start a sports academy of her own and guide more players, especially young children, who are interested in kabaddi. But in the immediate future, she wants to make some time to go to her favourite place for biryani first.