India's wrestling star Sushil Kumar, fit and raring to go, says he's willing to leave his troublesome past behind for a shot at an elusive top podium finish
Sushil Kumar
India's most successful wrestler Sushil Kumar is waiting for acche din, but that has nothing to do with our Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise. Instead, the country's only two-time individual Olympic medallist is keen to put a difficult two-year phase behind him and welcome, what he feels, will be a good future — the start of which could be at the Asian Games.
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"I don't believe in burey din [bad days] and would like to take everything that has happened in my life [since Rio 2016] in a positive way. I like to be surrounded by positive people because I believe that spurs me on to work harder," Sushil told mid-day at the Athletes Village here yesterday.
Sushil's tough times began with the selection fiasco in the run-up to the Rio Olympics which ended up in him being blamed by some for a failed dope test by fellow grappler Narsingh Yadav. Thereafter, he has grappled with injury and spent more time off the wrestling mat than on it. Last year, in December, an FIR was filed against Sushil by fellow grappler Parveen Rana after some of Sushil's supporters were involved in a brawl with Rana's brother during the selection trials for April's Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Injury haunts preparation
Then, in February, he had to withdraw from the Asian Championships in Kyrgyzstan at the last moment due to a knee injury and was replaced by Rana. Sushil did win gold at the CWG but the competition level at the Asian Games is much tougher. Last month, during a training-cum-competition event in Georgia, Sushil was beaten in the first round by Poland's Andrzej Piotr — it was his first defeat on the wrestling mat in four years.
On the personal front too, life hasn't been rosy for Sushil. On January 4 this year, while he was preparing to celebrate the fourth birthday of his twin sons, the family suddenly lost their most loyal servant, Sanjay (in his 50s) due to heart failure. "Losing Sanjay that morning was a huge setback. He was very fond of my children and had been with them since they were infants. Even the cops, who came to my house after the death, told me that it was an unexpected adversity for me and my family. Things came to a point where I once told my coach whose shoe laces were open, to tie them, because if he fell, then the world would blame me for that also," said Sushil.
This month though has truly been an august one for Sushil, who returned to Georgia for some tactical training with coach Vladimir Mestvirishvili, and is feeling good about it. "I have learnt more from my defeat than victories. I believe everything is a learning. The last seven to eight days have been great with coach Vladimir. It's now up to me to give it my all and win here," said Sushil, who won a bronze at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha and did not compete in 2010 and 2014 editions. When asked about his yearning for that elusive Asian Games gold medal, he said: "I had won the Asian Championships in 2010 and planned to compete in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games but injury once again kept me out. This time though I'm 100 per cent fit and raring to go. With my countrymen's prayers and support, I should win that gold here."
Olympics in sight
A gold here might just be the beginning of Sushil's acche din besides being the perfect platform for the 74kg Sonepat grappler to launch one final Olympics bid at Tokyo 2020, and he knows it. "As long as my body is fit, I will go for another Olympics and keep fighting on that mat because wrestling is the only thing I know," he signed off.
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