Sep 30, 2010
Sep 28, 2010
Sep 25, 2010
Sep 23, 2010
Sep 22, 2010
Sep 20, 2010
RAWEL AMRITSAR DEFEATS SUNNY PATHANKOT IN WRESTLING
Jammu Kashmir Newspoint
Mukerian, September 18
Wrestling competition held at village Sahalian of Mukerian sub division. In this regard a procession was started from the Dargah of Pir Baba Lakh Data which concluded at the Akhara after crossing the streets of the village.
About 200 wrestlers from far and wide participated in this competition.
The final wrestling competition was played between Sunny Pathankot and Rawel of Amritsar and Sunny was declared winner.
Cash award of Rs. 11000 and Rs. 9000 was given to Rawel and Sunny respectively. Joginder Singh president of the committee while addressing the gathering said that such competition are arranged to keep the youth away from the addiction.
Amarjit Singh Gill, Kanta devi Sarpanch, Dilbag Singh, Amrik Singh, Parmjit Kaur and many others were present in this wrestling competition.
Mukerian, September 18
Wrestling competition held at village Sahalian of Mukerian sub division. In this regard a procession was started from the Dargah of Pir Baba Lakh Data which concluded at the Akhara after crossing the streets of the village.
About 200 wrestlers from far and wide participated in this competition.
The final wrestling competition was played between Sunny Pathankot and Rawel of Amritsar and Sunny was declared winner.
Cash award of Rs. 11000 and Rs. 9000 was given to Rawel and Sunny respectively. Joginder Singh president of the committee while addressing the gathering said that such competition are arranged to keep the youth away from the addiction.
Amarjit Singh Gill, Kanta devi Sarpanch, Dilbag Singh, Amrik Singh, Parmjit Kaur and many others were present in this wrestling competition.
Sep 19, 2010
INDIAN, PAKISTAN WRESTLERS TO FIGHT FRIENDLY BOUT
Raju William, Tribune News Service
Udhampur, September 18
Kashmir may be a bone of contention between India and Pakistan, but wrestlers on both sides of the border think it best to test each other’s strength in the sporting arena. They will be fighting for the 6th Mission-e-Dosti Rustam-e-Indo-Pak Dangal title at Vivekanand Sports Stadium, Katra, next month.
To be held on October 14, the event is a part of the coming 15th edition of the Navratra festival commencing from October 8 at Katra. The J&K Indian Style Wrestling Association is organising this friendly event in association with the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, the Navratra Festival Committee, the J&K Department of Tourism, the Katra Municipal Committee and the district administration.
The decision to organise the event was taken in a meeting held at the office of the board at Katra under the chairmanship of Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Pawan Kotwal, who is also the chairman of the Navratra Festival Committee.
Around Rs 7 lakh was estimated to be spent on hosting the event, which was expected to attract more than 30,000 spectators. Besides a silver Gurj and a Patta, a prize money of Rs 51,000 would be at stake for the top honours.
The participating wrestlers from Pakistan include Abdul Majeed, Yousaf Riaz, Maroof, Muhammad Shafiq, Muhammad Bashir, alias Bhola, Safdar Ali, Israr Hussain Awan, Khawaja Muhammad Falahud-Din, Muhammad Umair and Bilal Hussain. From the Indian side wrestlers from Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Railways, Air Force, BSF, J&K Police, and the Army would participate in this one day historic wrestling event.
Udhampur, September 18
Kashmir may be a bone of contention between India and Pakistan, but wrestlers on both sides of the border think it best to test each other’s strength in the sporting arena. They will be fighting for the 6th Mission-e-Dosti Rustam-e-Indo-Pak Dangal title at Vivekanand Sports Stadium, Katra, next month.
To be held on October 14, the event is a part of the coming 15th edition of the Navratra festival commencing from October 8 at Katra. The J&K Indian Style Wrestling Association is organising this friendly event in association with the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, the Navratra Festival Committee, the J&K Department of Tourism, the Katra Municipal Committee and the district administration.
The decision to organise the event was taken in a meeting held at the office of the board at Katra under the chairmanship of Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Pawan Kotwal, who is also the chairman of the Navratra Festival Committee.
Around Rs 7 lakh was estimated to be spent on hosting the event, which was expected to attract more than 30,000 spectators. Besides a silver Gurj and a Patta, a prize money of Rs 51,000 would be at stake for the top honours.
The participating wrestlers from Pakistan include Abdul Majeed, Yousaf Riaz, Maroof, Muhammad Shafiq, Muhammad Bashir, alias Bhola, Safdar Ali, Israr Hussain Awan, Khawaja Muhammad Falahud-Din, Muhammad Umair and Bilal Hussain. From the Indian side wrestlers from Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Railways, Air Force, BSF, J&K Police, and the Army would participate in this one day historic wrestling event.
SUSHIL KUMAR - TECHNIQUES, CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH IN RUSSIAN
Sushil Kumar demonstrates wrestling techniques
Kumar (IND)vs. Gogaev (RUS)from Russian TV
Kumar (IND)vs. Gogaev (RUS)from Russian TV
Sep 18, 2010
WRESTLER VIKRAM PAHLWAN
By Deepak Ansuia Prasad
This wrestling match is for first prize between Vikram and another wrestler at the Surajkund dangal.
This match is for first prize of 21000/- between Sohan and Vikram. Sohan is a great wrestler from Bahadurgarh, Haryana, and Vikram is the No. 1 Indian-style wrestler. They are equally matched. Sohan is older than Vikram and more experienced, but both wrestlers fought long and hard. You can hear spectators shouting and closing inas the sun is setting.
This wrestling match is for first prize between Vikram and another wrestler at the Surajkund dangal.
This match is for first prize of 21000/- between Sohan and Vikram. Sohan is a great wrestler from Bahadurgarh, Haryana, and Vikram is the No. 1 Indian-style wrestler. They are equally matched. Sohan is older than Vikram and more experienced, but both wrestlers fought long and hard. You can hear spectators shouting and closing inas the sun is setting.
MISSION DOSTI INDO-PAK DANGAL ON OCTOBER 14
Jammu Kashmir Newspoint
Jammu Tawi, September 16
Organised by J&K Indian Style Wrestling Association in association with Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, the 6th annual Mission-Dosti Rustam-e-Indo-Pak Dangal shall take place at Vivekanand Sports Stadium Katra on October 14.
Dangal, part of the 15th Navratra Festival, shall take place on seventh Navratra. This was decided in a meeting held at central office of Shrine Board under the chairmanship of Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Dr Pawan Kotwal, who is also chairman of the Navratra Festival Committee.
Among others who attended the meeting were president of J&K Indian Style Wrestling Association, Shiv Kumar Sharma as also other senior officers of the district administration.
Besides the bouts between prominent Pakistani and Indian wrestlers, fights between other participants from states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh have also been arranged by the organizing committee so as to make it an interesting event.
The organizers have decided to present a cash prize of Rs 50,000 to the winner of main bout besides the title. Ten wresters who have confirmed their entries from Pakistan are Abdul Majeed, Yousaf Riaz, Maroof, Muhammad Shafiq, Muhammad Bashir Alias Bhola, Safdar Ali and Israr Hussain.
Jammu Tawi, September 16
Organised by J&K Indian Style Wrestling Association in association with Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, the 6th annual Mission-Dosti Rustam-e-Indo-Pak Dangal shall take place at Vivekanand Sports Stadium Katra on October 14.
Dangal, part of the 15th Navratra Festival, shall take place on seventh Navratra. This was decided in a meeting held at central office of Shrine Board under the chairmanship of Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Dr Pawan Kotwal, who is also chairman of the Navratra Festival Committee.
Among others who attended the meeting were president of J&K Indian Style Wrestling Association, Shiv Kumar Sharma as also other senior officers of the district administration.
Besides the bouts between prominent Pakistani and Indian wrestlers, fights between other participants from states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh have also been arranged by the organizing committee so as to make it an interesting event.
The organizers have decided to present a cash prize of Rs 50,000 to the winner of main bout besides the title. Ten wresters who have confirmed their entries from Pakistan are Abdul Majeed, Yousaf Riaz, Maroof, Muhammad Shafiq, Muhammad Bashir Alias Bhola, Safdar Ali and Israr Hussain.
SUSHIL KUMAR
Newly crowned world champion wrestler Sushil Kumar talks about his journey from Haryana’s mud pits and claustrophobic hostel rooms to the Olympic medal and international stardom
Sushil Kumar is sitting bare-chested on his bed as Arvinder Pal Singh, the Indian wrestling team’s physiotherapist, carefully tapes his injured calf muscle. “It’s just a minor tweak,” Kumar says, “(need to) keep the muscle warm.” Kumar’s younger brother Amardeep enters the room holding a red T-shirt with a printed picture of Kumar pinning down an opponent in a tangle of limbs. It’s an iconic photograph, at least in wrestling circles, because it shows Kumar winning the bronze medal fight at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. “That’s a good one brother,” Kumar says, before turning his attention to us. “What will you drink? Lassi? Have you eaten? Do you want breakfast?”
King of the mat: Kumar says his achievements are finally giving wrestling the impetus it needs. ‘The next generation will benefit hugely from the improved infrastructure,’ he says. Priyanka Parashar/Mint
We are at the Sports Authority of India’s residential training centre for elite wrestlers in Sonepat on the outskirts of Delhi, a place Kumar calls home, and he is adamant that we eat and drink everything that is available at the canteen. His room, which he shares with three other wrestlers and his younger brother, is tiny, with barely enough room to stand next to the beds.
A small TV is perched on top of a steel cupboard, and jars of protein powder take up all the space on top of the solitary table. It’s not the kind of room you expect India’s first Olympic medallist in wrestling since 1952 to stay in.
“You should have seen how we stayed before I won the medal.” Kumar says in Hindi. “It was a hot, claustrophobic place with 20 people to a room. We hardly had enough space to lie down and sleep.”
The 27-year-old wrestler from a small village called Baprola in Haryana is the toast of the international wrestling community after becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal at the World Wrestling Championship in Moscow on 12 September. A win, Kumar himself says, that is bigger than his Olympic medal. “Wrestlers, officials and journalists from around the world came up to me after the final,” Kumar says. “They knew it was historic. I had beaten world champions, Asian champions and Olympic champions. There was a lot of celebration.”
A look at Kumar’s route to the final shows the extent of his domination—a 6-0 routing of Greece’s Akritidis Anastasios in the second round, a 4-1 triumph over Germany’s Martin Sebastian in the pre-quarters, a 9-1 thrashing of Mongolia’s Buyanjav Batzorig in the quarter-finals. A few months before the World Championship, Kumar had won gold at the 2010 Asian Wrestling Championship in similar fashion. From a bronze medallist at the 2008 Olympics, Kumar is now the undisputed champion of his category.
But before Kumar’s Olympic medal, wrestling was a sport that hardly crossed the boundaries of the village akhara, the traditional mud pits where heavily oiled wrestlers grapple across rural India. In the two years since Beijing, wrestlers have their own dedicated training centre in Sonepat complete with a state-of-the-art gym, and imported Olympic-standard mats have become ubiquitous at akharas across the country.
“My father was a wrestler who did it the traditional way. And even I began my wrestling in mud pits,” says Kumar. “But these changes were highly needed. Now that all these improvements have begun, our juniors will truly benefit from it. Now we will churn out international-level wrestlers.”
Kumar’s wrestling career began when he was just 12 and had gone to see his father Diwan Singh fight in a wrestling bout during a village festival. Kumar was so excited that he repeatedly tried to trip his father after the bout. “I was a pest,” he recalls, “but from the next day my father started training me.” By the time Kumar was 14, it was evident that he had a gift for the sport, and his father took him to the akhara run by legendary Indian wrestler Satpal Singh at the Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi.
“That was my introduction to the lifestyle of a wrestler, where you sacrifice everything for the sport, and where your guru and the akhara are the only truths of your existence,” says Kumar. “Do you know, I’ve never even watched a movie in a theatre?”READ MORE HERE
Sep 17, 2010
Sep 16, 2010
Sep 14, 2010
Dangal of Fathepur Beri Village
By Deepak Ansuia Prasad
Heavy rains have punished the Indian subcontinent this season. Flooding has been widespread in India, and devastating in Pakistan and neighboring countries. Delhi has been no exception. It's been pouring every day, washing away the hard work of people organizing outdoor events. But whenever there is a dry spell, the clear sky, green trees, grass and flowers look fresh and stunning.
Most of the dangals I attended this season were heavily affected by the raingods. The dangals at Shahbad, Mathura, Faridabad and Surajkund all were stopped abruptly by sudden lashes of rain.
On 10th September 2010, a dangal was organized at Village Fathe Pur Beri, on the outskirts of Delhi. The dangal is organized every year by the village. The residents here love staging the dangal and have announced this season’s highest prizes. Wrestlers from all over Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and other states came to compete.
Inauguration of a match by MP Ramesh Kumar ji
Leaving after inauguration by chief guest MP Ramesh Kumar ji
Village Committee
When I reached the village, the competition had already begun and senior wrestlers’ bouts were taking place.
The dangal has been held for decades, honoring Saint Baba Dhanna Tanwar JI.
The Organising Committee was made up of Chairman Rajinder ji, Guru Lekhraj ji, Village Head, and the village committee of Fatehpur Beri.
Among the special guests at the dangal were:
Among the organisers and volunteers were:
And the reefrees were:
First prize was Rs. 51000/-. The organizing committee was worried that it might start raining or the sun would set before everything had been completed so after a hurried discussion, they decided to have 4 big matches for prizes of Rs. 21000.
The event drew a number of great wrestlers including, Vikram, Goti, Dheeraj, Jeetu, Karan, Pradhan, Phire, Birju, Rahul gurjar and Varun. Wrestlers Phire and Varun were honored by the villagers with a gift of 5 kilograms of ghee (clarified butter).
Organisers and dignitaries
So many guests
Many great wrestling bouts took place at the dangal. In one match, a wrestler pinned his opponent using the Dhak Technique to take his prize. It reminded me of my own wrestling, when I was so obsessed with technique that I used to practice in my dreams and use them in dangals. One of the wrestlers at the dangal, Jeetu Pahlwan, is a third-generation wrestler and a gold medalist in his weight class. He is the grandson of a great wrestler, Guru Shyam Lal, the pride of Ghitorni.
Jeetu Pahlwan faced an opponent who outweighed him, and in my opinion, this was the the best match of the dangal.
Winning wrestler from Sanjay Akhara
Trying Irani technique
Victorious wrestler
Since there were many contestants for the first prizes, eight of the greatest present-time wrestler were paired each other, and 4 matches of 21000/- each were announced.
The four big matches were:
Heavyweights
The sun had already started setting when the match list was announced, and when the the Goti vs. Vijay match began it was dark already. It was hard to see what was going on in the wrestling pit. Shadows of the wrestlers, who were equally worried of the dark were trying to finish their bouts. As it became harder for the fans to see the matches, people started closing in on the wrestling area. The situation soon escalated as the fans started pushing and shouting. The organizers tried to find someone to turn on some outdoor lights, but the person in charge of the lighting was nowhere to be seen.
As the crowd grew more agitated, one of the wrestler fell to the ground, but nobody could see who he was. Both wrestlers claimed they won and soon the event became chaotic.
Supporters of both the wrestlers were arguing. I was worried it might turn ugly so I ran for cover to save my camera. The crowd became uncontrollable so the organizers ended the event.
And so ended my chance to witness some of India’s greatest wrestlers competing in one place.
Lord Hanuman
Heavy rains have punished the Indian subcontinent this season. Flooding has been widespread in India, and devastating in Pakistan and neighboring countries. Delhi has been no exception. It's been pouring every day, washing away the hard work of people organizing outdoor events. But whenever there is a dry spell, the clear sky, green trees, grass and flowers look fresh and stunning.
Most of the dangals I attended this season were heavily affected by the raingods. The dangals at Shahbad, Mathura, Faridabad and Surajkund all were stopped abruptly by sudden lashes of rain.
On 10th September 2010, a dangal was organized at Village Fathe Pur Beri, on the outskirts of Delhi. The dangal is organized every year by the village. The residents here love staging the dangal and have announced this season’s highest prizes. Wrestlers from all over Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and other states came to compete.
When I reached the village, the competition had already begun and senior wrestlers’ bouts were taking place.
The dangal has been held for decades, honoring Saint Baba Dhanna Tanwar JI.
The Organising Committee was made up of Chairman Rajinder ji, Guru Lekhraj ji, Village Head, and the village committee of Fatehpur Beri.
Among the special guests at the dangal were:
- Member of Parliament (Outer Delhi) Ramesh Kumar JI
- Surinder Nath ji, Priest of the famous Kalkaji Temple New Delhi
- Parvesh Verma (Mahamantri, DPCC)
- Hind Kesari Jaiprakash Pahlwan
- Member of Legislative assembly (MLA) Bijwasan
- Councilor Rampal Yadav
Among the organisers and volunteers were:
- Prempal
- Jaiprakash
- Jagan
- Pappu
- Naresh
- Babaji
- Ashok Tanwar
- Vijay
- Naresh
- Amarjeet
And the reefrees were:
- Lala Pahlwan
- Jagat Pahlwan
First prize was Rs. 51000/-. The organizing committee was worried that it might start raining or the sun would set before everything had been completed so after a hurried discussion, they decided to have 4 big matches for prizes of Rs. 21000.
The event drew a number of great wrestlers including, Vikram, Goti, Dheeraj, Jeetu, Karan, Pradhan, Phire, Birju, Rahul gurjar and Varun. Wrestlers Phire and Varun were honored by the villagers with a gift of 5 kilograms of ghee (clarified butter).
Many great wrestling bouts took place at the dangal. In one match, a wrestler pinned his opponent using the Dhak Technique to take his prize. It reminded me of my own wrestling, when I was so obsessed with technique that I used to practice in my dreams and use them in dangals. One of the wrestlers at the dangal, Jeetu Pahlwan, is a third-generation wrestler and a gold medalist in his weight class. He is the grandson of a great wrestler, Guru Shyam Lal, the pride of Ghitorni.
Jeetu Pahlwan faced an opponent who outweighed him, and in my opinion, this was the the best match of the dangal.
Since there were many contestants for the first prizes, eight of the greatest present-time wrestler were paired each other, and 4 matches of 21000/- each were announced.
The four big matches were:
- Vikram vs. Dhiraj
- Goti vs. Vijay Pal
- Jeetu vs. Karan
- Phire vs. Pradhan
The sun had already started setting when the match list was announced, and when the the Goti vs. Vijay match began it was dark already. It was hard to see what was going on in the wrestling pit. Shadows of the wrestlers, who were equally worried of the dark were trying to finish their bouts. As it became harder for the fans to see the matches, people started closing in on the wrestling area. The situation soon escalated as the fans started pushing and shouting. The organizers tried to find someone to turn on some outdoor lights, but the person in charge of the lighting was nowhere to be seen.
As the crowd grew more agitated, one of the wrestler fell to the ground, but nobody could see who he was. Both wrestlers claimed they won and soon the event became chaotic.
Supporters of both the wrestlers were arguing. I was worried it might turn ugly so I ran for cover to save my camera. The crowd became uncontrollable so the organizers ended the event.
And so ended my chance to witness some of India’s greatest wrestlers competing in one place.
SUSHIL KUMAR: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Saurabh Duggal, Hindustan Times
The poster boy of Indian wrestling, Sushil Kumar, added another first to his name on Sunday. After becoming the first Indian grappler to clinch an Olympic medal, he also became the first to win a World Championship title.
Even as the other Indians bit the dust, the grappler from Najafgarh came out triumphant in Moscow, proving that the Beijing Olympics bronze was not a fluke.
Now, the world champion is aiming for the top position at the Commonwealth Games and hoping that his exploits would popularise the sport in the country.
HT caught up with the hero and his coach Yashvir.
Excerpts:
How do you rate your World Championship achievement?
It’s like a dream come true. I am happy that I gave the country this proud moment. For the last couple of months, I had been training hard for the Championship and it's a mission accomplished for my coaches and me.
Was there any pressure on you going into the quarterfinal bout against the Mongolian wrestler against whom you had lost earlier?
It was not the first time I was competing on the big stage, so there was no pressure. The moment I started winning, I started feeling comfortable. I had earlier lost to the Mongolian wrestler but I knew his strengths and weaknesses, so I didn't have difficulty in beating him. Before making it to the final, I had won four bouts, so my confidence was high. I was sure gold would be mine if I accurately executed what I'd learnt during training.
Yashvir: Even before the gold at the Worlds, Sushil was considered among the world's top wrestlers in his category. So, whenever two top opponents face off, the pressure is on both sides. We were not worried about the final bout and knew Sushil would win gold.
Rather, we were worried about the semifinal as the wrestler from Azerbaijan was a tough nut. Sushil had to really fight hard to win against him. The Azerbaijan grappler was any day better than the Russian whom Sushil faced in the final.
Which is your bigger achievement — the Olympic bronze or the World Championship gold?
Both have their significance. You cannot compare the two. For me, both the medals are equally precious and I have worked really hard to win them..
You missed the medal at the last World Championship, so was there any change in your training schedule this time?
Whenever we go for major tournaments, we undergo specific training. Before the World Championship, we had more mat practice. You can't say I practiced harder this time …. it was my hard luck that I missed the medal last year..
What next?
My immediate target is to win gold in the Commonwealth Games. After that, my focus will be on the Asian Games, next year's World Championship and obviously my ultimate aim is to win gold in the London Olympics.
Do you see wrestling growing in India after your World Championship exploits?
After my Beijing medal, a lot of people started taking interest in the sport. Earlier, it was confined to the rural areas but now people in the metros too are following it. After the Olympics, money has started pouring into the sport and now the world title will surely bring more sponsors to the sport.
During last year's Asian Championship, you drew a lot of criticism for missing the bout because you were overweight. Critics said you did it intentionally as you were afraid of losing?
A sportsperson will never miss a bout intentionally. Somehow, I didn't get the weight right at the time of weigh-in and got disqualified. It was not the first time I missed the bout because of being overweight. During the 2004 Asian Championship, I was unable to compete because of being overweight. But nobody noticed it or questioned my intention. Then why after the Olympic medal? With the world title I have proved that I am not afraid of taking on any wrestler in the world.
The poster boy of Indian wrestling, Sushil Kumar, added another first to his name on Sunday. After becoming the first Indian grappler to clinch an Olympic medal, he also became the first to win a World Championship title.
Now, the world champion is aiming for the top position at the Commonwealth Games and hoping that his exploits would popularise the sport in the country.
HT caught up with the hero and his coach Yashvir.
Excerpts:
How do you rate your World Championship achievement?
It’s like a dream come true. I am happy that I gave the country this proud moment. For the last couple of months, I had been training hard for the Championship and it's a mission accomplished for my coaches and me.
Was there any pressure on you going into the quarterfinal bout against the Mongolian wrestler against whom you had lost earlier?
It was not the first time I was competing on the big stage, so there was no pressure. The moment I started winning, I started feeling comfortable. I had earlier lost to the Mongolian wrestler but I knew his strengths and weaknesses, so I didn't have difficulty in beating him. Before making it to the final, I had won four bouts, so my confidence was high. I was sure gold would be mine if I accurately executed what I'd learnt during training.
Yashvir: Even before the gold at the Worlds, Sushil was considered among the world's top wrestlers in his category. So, whenever two top opponents face off, the pressure is on both sides. We were not worried about the final bout and knew Sushil would win gold.
Rather, we were worried about the semifinal as the wrestler from Azerbaijan was a tough nut. Sushil had to really fight hard to win against him. The Azerbaijan grappler was any day better than the Russian whom Sushil faced in the final.
Both have their significance. You cannot compare the two. For me, both the medals are equally precious and I have worked really hard to win them..
You missed the medal at the last World Championship, so was there any change in your training schedule this time?
Whenever we go for major tournaments, we undergo specific training. Before the World Championship, we had more mat practice. You can't say I practiced harder this time …. it was my hard luck that I missed the medal last year..
What next?
My immediate target is to win gold in the Commonwealth Games. After that, my focus will be on the Asian Games, next year's World Championship and obviously my ultimate aim is to win gold in the London Olympics.
Do you see wrestling growing in India after your World Championship exploits?
After my Beijing medal, a lot of people started taking interest in the sport. Earlier, it was confined to the rural areas but now people in the metros too are following it. After the Olympics, money has started pouring into the sport and now the world title will surely bring more sponsors to the sport.
During last year's Asian Championship, you drew a lot of criticism for missing the bout because you were overweight. Critics said you did it intentionally as you were afraid of losing?
A sportsperson will never miss a bout intentionally. Somehow, I didn't get the weight right at the time of weigh-in and got disqualified. It was not the first time I missed the bout because of being overweight. During the 2004 Asian Championship, I was unable to compete because of being overweight. But nobody noticed it or questioned my intention. Then why after the Olympic medal? With the world title I have proved that I am not afraid of taking on any wrestler in the world.
Twitter Abuzz With Sushil's Achievement
Mumbai, Sept 13 (IBNS): It was a moment of pride for every Indian when Sushil Kumar became the first Indian wrestler to win a gold medal at the World Wrestling Championship in Moscow.
The celebrities from B-town and from the world of sports too congratulated him for this spectacular achievement.
For the entire day Twitter buzzed with greetings for Sushil Kumar, sent by various celebs.
“Sushil Kumar wins World wrestling championship, the first Indian to do it .. SK you have made us all proud Indians .. Congrats,” tweeted Big B.
"Sports and sportsmen bring honor to country. Many a time the importance of a country is established by them too," he added.
SRK too congratulated him for this success, as he posted, “felt awesome to hear about the wrestling gold for sushil kumar. Looks so simple & earthy. No noise, just lots of commitment & hardwork.”
Celebrity cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle not only greeted the wrestler but also raised a crucial question: “so Sushil kumar wins wrestling gold. Excellent. How many golds would india win if the players didn't have to fight federations first?”
VJ Gurav Kapur congratulated the talented matman differently, rather in a bit humorous way as he said: “Kitna Sushil ladka hai aapka Mrs Kumar. Pure gold I tell u.”
Arjun Rampal felt that it was a completely joy filled Monday with so many good news all around: "Many celebrations today. Kajol Ajay, congrats on their baby boy,Sushil Kumar wrestles pride into India,Rafa pls win the US open.Me? Champagne."
Actor Ritesh Deshmukh thanked Sushil for making Indians proud with his feat : "Sushil Kumar wins World wrestling championship- thank u so much for making us proud- Mera Desh(wasi) Mahan."
Earlier, Sushil was congratulated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for his achievement.
On Sunday, Kumar had defeated Russian Gogaev to win the 66 kg freestyle in Moscow, to become the first Indian to win a World Wrestling Championship Gold Medal. He has created history in Indian sports with this spectacular achievement in Moscow.
The celebrities from B-town and from the world of sports too congratulated him for this spectacular achievement.
“Sushil Kumar wins World wrestling championship, the first Indian to do it .. SK you have made us all proud Indians .. Congrats,” tweeted Big B.
"Sports and sportsmen bring honor to country. Many a time the importance of a country is established by them too," he added.
SRK too congratulated him for this success, as he posted, “felt awesome to hear about the wrestling gold for sushil kumar. Looks so simple & earthy. No noise, just lots of commitment & hardwork.”
Celebrity cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle not only greeted the wrestler but also raised a crucial question: “so Sushil kumar wins wrestling gold. Excellent. How many golds would india win if the players didn't have to fight federations first?”
VJ Gurav Kapur congratulated the talented matman differently, rather in a bit humorous way as he said: “Kitna Sushil ladka hai aapka Mrs Kumar. Pure gold I tell u.”
Arjun Rampal felt that it was a completely joy filled Monday with so many good news all around: "Many celebrations today. Kajol Ajay, congrats on their baby boy,Sushil Kumar wrestles pride into India,Rafa pls win the US open.Me? Champagne."
Actor Ritesh Deshmukh thanked Sushil for making Indians proud with his feat : "Sushil Kumar wins World wrestling championship- thank u so much for making us proud- Mera Desh(wasi) Mahan."
Earlier, Sushil was congratulated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for his achievement.
On Sunday, Kumar had defeated Russian Gogaev to win the 66 kg freestyle in Moscow, to become the first Indian to win a World Wrestling Championship Gold Medal. He has created history in Indian sports with this spectacular achievement in Moscow.
Sep 13, 2010
SUSHIL KUMAR WINS WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP
Mamata announces Rs 10 lakh award for Sushil Kumar
Times of India
NEW DELHI: Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee announced an award of Rs 10 lakh to Sushil Kumar, Assistant Commercial Manager with the Northern Railway, for winning gold medal in World Wrestling Championship in Moscow.
Congratulating him, Mamata said it is the spirit, drive and dedication of Sushil that has lead to personal achievement and national glory.
"His victory is a victory for the 'Rail Parivar' and dedicated to the nation," she said.
Sushil is the third Railwayman to brought laurels in World Wrestling Championship. Railway sportspersons Bishambar Singh and Ramesh Kumar had won a silver and a bronze in the World Wrestling Championships in 1967 and 2009 respectively.
Sushil Kumar is World wrestling champion
The Hindu
Sushil Kumar made history by becoming the first Indian to win a World wrestling championship gold medal when he overpowered home favourite Alan Gogaev to win the 66kg freestyle title in Moscow on Sunday.
The exciting 3-1 victory in the title-bout also made Sushil the first Indian grappler to bag Olympic and World championship medals. The 27-year-old already holds the Asian and Commonwealth titles.
On his way to the final, Sushil convincingly defeated Anastasios Akritidis of Greece (6-0), Martin Sebastian Daum of Germany (4-1) and Batzorig Buyanjar of Mongolia (9-1) before rallying to beat reigning European champion Jabrayil Hasanov of Azerbaijan (4-3).
Historic triumph
In the final, Sushil got the better of Gogaev in two straight rounds, winning 2-1 and 1-0 and sealing a historic triumph.
Last year in Denmark, Ramesh Kumar had broken India's long medal drought in the World championship by returning a bronze in the 74-kg category.
The other World championship medallists from India were Uday Chand (bronze in 1961), Bishambhar Singh (silver in 1967) and Alka Tomar (bronze in 2006).
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President G.S. Mander was quick to hail Sushil's feat.
“Sushil had proved his mettle at every level and now he has done it at the World level. It is a big thing to be the World, Asian and Commonwealth champion at the same time,” Mander said.
Sushil had won the Commonwealth championship in Jalandhar in December last and the Asian title here in May.
Welcome change
“In the midst of so much negative publicity doing the rounds (due to drug abuse in Indian sport), this is a welcome change,” Mander added.
The WFI Secretary and former Asian Games gold medallist Kartar Singh, too, expressed his joy after Sushil won the gold.
“I am very happy with his achievement. The country expected him to win the gold and he did it,” said Kartar.
“When I spoke to him, he said that it was due to God's grace. He said the competition was very tough, especially the semifinal against the European champion was a difficult bout.
“ had advised Sushil to give his best even against the fancied Russian wrestler (in the final) as such chances come very rarely in life, so he should grab it with both hands,” Kartar said.
Kartar hoped that the Commonwealth Games gold at home should not be a difficult thing to achieve for Sushil.
The WFI declared that a befitting welcome and suitable reward await the star wrestler on his return from Moscow.
The 1982 Asian Games gold medallist, Satpal, also showered praise on Sushil. “He had prepared well, otherwise it is not easy to win five straight bouts in day.
“Undoubtedly, he is the best wrestler India has ever produced. His humility and sincerity has made him what he is,” said Satpal.
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