Manpreet Kaur Saini from our specialist partners Wolverhampton Wrestling Club has achieved a Bollywood-inspired dream after being selected as a baton bearer at this summer’s Commonwealth Games.
Manpreet, 17, and her sister Simarpreet, 14, were inspired to take up wrestling five years ago after watching the Indian movie Dangal, which tells the story of an ex-wrestler and his two daughters struggling towards glory at the Commonwealth Games in the face of societal oppression.
The film inspired Manpreet and Simarpreet to take up the sport and now Manpreet will be heading to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July as one of 2,000 inspirational baton bearers.
The baton bearers reflect the diversity in communities across England and are chosen because they:
- Are always willing to take on a challenge and has a unique and inspiring story
- Have made a meaningful contribution to sport, education, the arts, culture, or charity
- Are a figure of inspiration that positively challenges others to achieve their best
- Have taken on a challenge or cause and made a positive impact within their community
Two years ago, the Sauni sisters (pictured below) moved from Slough to the Black Country and joined Wolverhampton Wrestling Club where they were welcomed by head coach Ranjit Singh into one of the UK’s most diverse sports clubs, based at an inner-city Sikh gurdwara (temple).
What could have been a daunting move for a teenager to a new part of the country was made easy by joining what Manpreet calls “one big family” at the gurdwara.
It’s a community hub which plays host to beginner, junior and elite wrestlers, as well as many other sports and programmes that target crime prevention, violence reduction, wellbeing, education and training.
Their Levelling the Playing Field session runs on a Saturday morning, engaging local ethnically diverse children aged six to 18 in wrestling (and ‘tag wrestling’ for the younger ones).
Manpreet is on the club’s regional and national squads as a competitor and is a youth volunteer leader working towards her Level 1 coaching qualification.
“The club has been really important for me and my sister,” says Manpreet, who is studying A levels in biology, chemistry and sport. “Wrestling is basically what we do. If we’re not studying, we go wrestling. The team is a big part of our life. We basically live there – it's our second home. It’s been so important for us since we moved here.”
Manpreet helped coach youngsters last summer when the club linked up with another Levelling the Playing Field specialist partner, InPower Academy, based just down the road.
“I love working with the youngsters, getting them involved, helping them to be more confident in themselves and developing their love of the sport,” comments Manpreet. “I’ve done loads of work experience teaching kids and I think I’ve got that natural talent for coaching. That’s where I see myself, as someone who helps others achieve their potential.”
Her dedication to helping others is what earned Manpreet the honour of being a baton bearer in the build-up to the Birmingham 2022 opening ceremony in July.
“When my teacher told me, I just looked at her and said, ‘Yeah, right!’,” she says. “I was really happy but I think my sister deserves it more than me. It makes me feel proud and my parents are really proud. I can’t stop telling people about it!”
The teenager will be representing Wolverhampton Wrestling Club with pride at the Games. The sport of wrestling and the club’s diversity and community focus have played a vital role in her life.
“When you walk in, everyone is different there,” she says. “You see people from all sorts of different cultures, backgrounds and races. It’s like one big family. Wrestling also teaches you a lot of things – it's not just about the competitions, you learn respect and discipline. It’s a massive part of my life and I hope it continues to be for many more years.”
Read more about our specialist partners Wolverhampton Wrestling Club here and here.