5 Indian Olympic triumphs that deserve to be preserved on celluloid

5) The Olympic legacy of Satpal Singh and Chhatrasal Stadium

Satpal Singh - The man who created a legacy that his own student ironically left in tatters

Satpal Singh's journey can be viewed as both a rebirth of Indian wrestling and the downfall of its best student. Like Mahavir Singh Phogat, "Mahabali Satpal" created a legacy of his own and was instrumental in the rise of Indian wrestling at the Olympics.

A diligent student of Guru Hanuman, Satpal rose to fame when he won a silver medal at the 1982 Commonwealth Games and a gold medal at the 1982 Asian Games. However, a lack of proper facilities prevented him from achieving ultimate glory at the Olympics, where his only appearance was in Moscow 1980.

After he retired from competitive wrestling, Satpal focused on training the next generation, just like Pullela Gopichand did for Indian badminton. His efforts paid off at the Beijing Olympics when his pupil, Sushil Kumar Solanki, bagged a bronze medal in the 66kg category. Though his other student, Yogeshwar Dutt, was eliminated in the quarterfinals, he continued to follow his guru diligently and soon won bronze at the London Olympics in 2012.

Today, as Indian wrestling is once again in the news, a significant credit behind it goes to Satpal Singh, who did as a coach what he couldn't as a player. Sadly, one of his best students, Sushil Kumar, has recently tarnished his legacy.