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MUMBAI:When he is not up for a bout, he endorses for eggs though he doesn’t eat them. He is a two-time Olympic medal winner and recently clinched the Commonwealth Games (CWG) gold medal (74 kg) for the second time. Still, Indian grappler Sushil Kumar – who was also the most searched athlete on Google post his CWG gold in Glasgow – remains the humble, obedient student of the sport respecting most decisions by Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and maintaining his own set of principles.
But the Olympian was surprised when a report said that he and Yogeshwar Dutt (gold medallist in 65kg category at CWG) decided to pull out of the FILA World Wrestling Championships to be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from September 4 to concentrate on Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea starting September 19.
“World Championship is definitely bigger with more exposure and stronger opponents and a lot could be gained from that event but whatever WFI decides, I will abide by that. These reports are wrong, nothing has been confirmed yet. We are busy taking trials for both events. I have never said I have pulled out,” he says.
The report also quoted Indian wrestling head coach Vinod Kumar who apparently said it was physically impossible for Sushil and Yogeshwar to participate in both the tournaments citing lack of break between the two events.
“I never said anything as such that I’ll be going to World Championships ignoring the Asian Games. One can gain experience from every tournament he plays,” says the 31-year-old grappler adding: “Whatever the federation decides, it is for our betterment. For example, our president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh ensures we get the best of facilities. He is always thinking about the players and the results are showing. Even the government has provided excellent infrastructure. The rooms where we train are air-conditioned.”
With his eyes set on Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the wrestler thinks the contingent is ready for the big event. “The planning is going on currently as to how to get better, how to train better in the form of camps abroad and all. Along with the federation, we also discuss how the other federations in the world function. For example, how the wrestling federation in Russia work, rules they follow,” adds Sushil who has been taking a lot of proteins recently to maintain his new weight category. Earlier, he used to wrestle in the 66kg category.
“Non vegetarian toh khaata nahi, so abhi bohot zyada soyabeans le raha hoon (I don’t eat non vegetarian food, so I’m hogging soyabeans),” he says.
When asked whether he felt any pressure during the CWG final against Pakistan’s Qamar Abbas as masses tend to overreact whenever the opponent is from Pakistan be it any sport, he says: “Pressure makes one lose the plot. Opponent from Pakistan and all is psychological. My aim was to play aggressive and not give him a chance to score.”
But Sushil was not aware that he became Google’s darling that night. “Really? I did not know I was being searched the most. Even in the fast high-tech world, people took time out for me is a blessing,” adds the grappler, who at times interacts with fans on his official Facebook page.
However, it remains to be seen whether he chooses the multi-sporting continental event over the world meet. But one thing is certain, Google will garner some more hits if he pulls off another gold.
