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Pooja Surve

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Pooja Surve
Personal information
Full namePooja Shriniwas Surve
Nickname(s)Champion
Country representedIndia
Born (1990-06-08) 8 June 1990 (age 34)
DisciplineRhythmic gymnastics
LevelSenior International Elite
Years on national team2008–2010

Pooja Surve is an Indian former rhythmic gymnast.[1] She represented India at international competitions and competed at two World championships, the 2009 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Japan and the 2010 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Moscow. In 2010, she was the only rhythmic gymnast from India to qualify for the individual final at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.[2] She won the Miss Exotic Performance award at the World Cup Belarus 2010, becoming the first Indian to ever receive this award.[citation needed] She is also a recipient of the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Award from the government of Maharashtra.[3]

After her competitive career, she became a gymnastics coach and judge.[3][4][5] In 2016 she was selected as the technical head by Star-sports for the Rio Olympics and did the commentary for all artistic, rhythmic and trampoline gymnastics.[6]

Besides being a gymnast, Surve is a classical Kathak and ballet dancer.[6][7] She has also been on reality shows; she appeared on the third season of India's Got Talent.[8]

Early life and education

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Surve was born in Mumbai on 8 June 1990. She has a sister, Mansi Surve, who is the head coach at her gymnastics academy and is also an international judge.[6]

In 1996, at the age of six, she began learning artistic gymnastics; she later switched to rhythmic gymnastics.[9] Her parents originally enrolled her in gymnastics to strengthen her body after childhood illness.[10]

Later, her mother also enrolled her in classical dance classes. She learnt Kathak under the guidance of Shrimati Radhika Phanse.[7]

Surve enrolled in the D. G. Ruparel College of Arts, Science and Commerce and graduated with a degree in computer science.[7]

Gymnastics career

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In 2007, Surve was injured at the National Games; she tore a ligament while performing a pivot element. She required surgery and missed half a year of training.[11]

In 2009, Surve competed at her first World Championships in Mie, Japan as part of the first team of Indian gymnasts to compete at a Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships.[12] Due to the poor funding of the sport in India, the team's equipment did not meet international standards, and Surve and her teammates bought a set of equipment at the venue to share.[13] Surve placed the highest among her teammates.[14]

In 2010, Surve and several teammates spent a month at a training camp in Moscow ahead of the 2010 World Championships, where she again represented India.[15][16] The next month, she competed at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, where she placed 16th in the all-around final.[10]

Coaching career

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Surve became a coach in 2012.[7] She is the director of a gymnastics academy in Thane and has spoken about the difficulties of obtaining funding and improving training conditions for gymnasts.[13]

In 2020, she worked with the Sports Authority of India as the director of an online coaching program for rhythmic gymnastics.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "SURVE Pooja – FIG Athlete Profile". www.gymnastics.sport. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Gymnastics Rhythmic Individual All-Around Qualification" (PDF). Commonwealth Games. 12 October 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Thane to get India's biggest gymnasium". The Times of India. 6 April 2017. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  4. ^ Nayak, B B (12 June 2014). "15 Thane players shine at national gymnastics meet". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  5. ^ "Judge Viewer". International Gymnastics Federation. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "About Us". Phoenix Gymnastics Academy. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d Kunte, Radhika (6 October 2017). "कल्लाकार : कोशिश करनेवालों की." [Kallakar: Those who try...]. Loksatta (in Marathi). Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  8. ^ "India's Got Talent". YouTube. 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  9. ^ "India finishes fifth". The Hindu. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  10. ^ a b "एका जिद्दीची गोष्ट" [A Story of Stubbornness]. Loksatta (in Marathi). 27 September 2013.
  11. ^ Naik, Shivani (10 September 2010). "Rhythm blues". The Indian Express. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  12. ^ "India women qualify for the World Rhythmic Gymnastic Championships". Hindustan Times. 1 September 2009. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  13. ^ a b Santhanam, Anuradha (12 June 2015). "Indian gymnasts cry out for help: is anyone listening?". Sportskeeda.
  14. ^ "29th Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships Results Team Competition and Qualifications" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. 10 September 2009.
  15. ^ Pawar (9 September 2010). "Indian trio hope to hit the right notes at CWG". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  16. ^ "Results for 30th FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships". International Gymnastics Federation. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  17. ^ "The Phoenix Gymnastics Academy". Facebook. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
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Videos

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