Chronicles of Chandni Chowk

What happens when you take three International Women Wrestling champions on a tour of Old Delhi?

- Vidya Prabhu

IT’S 5PM on a breezy evening, and the sight of a DSLR perched on a tripod seems to have sent the crowds at Chandni Chowk into a tizzy. At a dusty bylane overlooking the majestic Jama Masjid, a feisty five-year-old tugs at my kurta, asking me the name of the film being shot. “This is no film shoot. We are just clicking a few quick photographs,” I tell him. Not convinced, he continues to hog the frame, much to the dismay of my photographer colleague. Eventually, he gives in to my pleas, finally making way for a clear shot.

Straight ahead, Yana Rattigan, Mariya Stadnik and Sofia Mattson show no signs of being perturbed by the throng around them. Sitting in the cycle rickshaw, their poise is unwavering. Once the shot is done, I have to ask if they have ever modelled before. They laugh. “The wrestling mat is our ramp,” winks Rattigan, as the other two nod in agreement.

So it is. For each of the three is an international wrestling champion. Rattigan won a silver medal for England at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games (48 kg category), while Stadnik and Mattson bagged silver and bronze medals for Azerbaijan and Sweden at the Rio Olympics last year (in the 48kg and 58kg categories respectively). Mattson and Stadnik even participated in the Pro Wrestling League tournament that took place in India earlier this year. The former made it as far as the finals (as part of team Haryana Hammers), and the latter was unbeatable in individual bouts that she faced as part of Delhi Sultans.

AN INDIAN AVATAR On this evening though, the trio’s mood is clear: they don’t want to talk about wrestling. Instead, they are kicked about visiting Old Delhi and soaking in its sights and smells. “We want to make the most of this trip,” emphasises Rattigan, who first visited Delhi two years ago.