‘My trainer adopted me, paid for all my expenses’: Sani Fulmali after winning gold medal in Asian Youth Wrestling Championship

PUNE: Sani Fulmali, who recently won a gold medal in the Asian Youth Wrestling Championship, credited his wrestling lineage to his grandfather and father, who trained him and his brothers. He also acknowledges his trainer’s support, who covered his expenses for four to five years, enabling him to pursue his wrestling career.

Sani secured a gold medal in beach wrestling at the Asian Youth Wrestling Championship 2025 in Bahrain, dominating Iran’s Amirali Domirkolaei 2-0 in the 60 kg category final. His win marks a significant milestone for Indian wrestling, showcasing the country’s growing prowess in the sport.

“My grandfather used to wrestle in the village. He made my father a wrestler… My father trained my brothers and me… My trainer then adopted me and paid for all my expenses for 4 to 5 years”, Fulmali said.

3 Golds and 2 Silvers won by our Beach wrestling athletes today!
Congratulations to
Arjun Ruhil (Boys 90kg), Anjali (Girls 55kg), Sani Subhash Fulmali (Boys 60kg) for their Gold Medal wins, and, Sujay Tanpure (Boys 70kg) and Ravinder (Boys 80kg) on their Silver Medal wins … pic.twitter.com/yre4EWYnvJ

— Team India (@WeAreTeamIndia) October 30, 2025

Sani Fulmali’s father Subhash Fulmali shared the sacrifices he made to support his son’s wrestling career, including cutting back on family meals to fund Sani’s training. He’s grateful to Sandeep Appa Bhondwe for adopting Sani and covering his expenses.

“Whatever I earned during the day, I saved for his wrestling. We often had to eat less to ensure Sunny’s training continued. A year later, Sandeep Appa Bhondwe was so impressed by his performance that he decided to adopt him and bear all his expenses. I want to see him playing in the Olympics for India and bring a medal for the nation,” he told ANI.

Sani’s brother Suraj Fulmali shared the family’s joy upon hearing about Sani’s medal win. He highlighted their challenging circumstances, living in a slum with no support, and their parents struggling to make ends meet by selling jewellery on the street.

“After winning the medal, he called our parents. We were very happy… We live in a slum… We have no support… My parents sell jewellery on the street… The government should help him as much as possible,” Suraj Fulmali told ANI. (ANI)