Wrestling is an unpredictable sport. Anything can happen on a given day and we can see a wrestler crushing a higher-ranked opponent comfortably.
But, that is not the main goal of every wrestler. Every wrestler has a long-term goal of making the country proud with a podium finish at the Olympic Games.
A strong representation is what Indians expect at the biggest event of the world and the qualification of the 25-year-old Sandeep Tomar holds immense significance.
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Sandeep's feat is hugely noteworthy as he became the fourth wrestler to book a berth for the Rio Games after Yogeshwar Dutt, Narsingh Yadav, and Hardeep Singh.
‘I knew that I had done a lot of hard work’
He meant business from the word go dominating his Turkish opponent Sezar Agkul, a two-time World Championship medallist winning crucial points to close out an 11-0 win.
"I knew that I had done a lot of hard work. In the last couple of months, I have really worked on a few areas that needed strengthening. In Mongolia, it was a question of starting well. I knew that if I made a good start, my mind would be at ease. I defeated Sezar 11-0 and that was the perfect start that I was hoping for," Tomar said.
He secured an Olympic quota place later in the men's 57 kg freestyle with a bronze-medal finish on the final day in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
"I knew what had to be done. I also knew that there would be no second chances. I had to win the bout to win the quota and I think the lack of options really hardened my resolve to do well," Tomar said.
He added, "I just told myself that I had performed well throughout. I was working according to the plan that the coaches and I had decided upon. It was a case of keeping your concentration, reading my opponent's body language and making the openings that I forced, count."
Defeating a two-time World Champion
Sandeep turned his bronze medal playoff against Ukraine's Andriy Yatsenko, a two-time cadet World Champion into a lop-sided affair crushing him to book a Rio berth.
"Yatsenko was a good opponent. He is young, he has won international tournaments, but at the junior level. I knew that if I began aggressively, I could put pressure on him. In the first two minutes, I had managed to pick up almost five points and I realised that the opponent was under pressure. I just kept going, moving him around and focussing on scoring more points," Tomar said.
"It's a great feeling to have won the quota," he added.
The JSW-sponsored athlete believes if he continues to way he is working now, he can put up a good and strong show at the Rio Olympics.
Wrestlers from Russia, Georgia and Iran have traditionally been very good in his weight category and they will be his toughest competitors.
He said, "I would like to thank JSW and the Sports Excellence Program for their constant support and encouragement. Their involvement with me has ensured that I am left to focus only on my wrestling and my improvement."
"I don't have to worry about getting the right kit, worrying about saving money to invest in nutritional supplements and medical care. It is all provided to me and that has helped in helping me stay focussed on my goal and better my performances on the mat," added Sandeep.
‘We can win medals at Rio’
The aspirations are bound to rise after Sushil Kumar's back-to-back medals and Yogeshwar Dutt’s feat at London. Rio 2016 is no different as far as the Indian wrestling is concerned
The 25-year old believes Salman Khan's appointment as an ambassador will not only benefit Indian Sports but also draw attention towards it. On top of that, the wrestling fans will be happy if the country’s grapplers cannot improve on their medal count.
There is one more qualifier coming up in Turkey and currently, we have three freestyle quotas and one in Greco-Roman.
"We have seen that Indian wrestlers can perform well against the best in the world and also win medals at the Olympics and World Championships. We just need to believe in ourselves," concluded Tomar.
Let’s hope Sandeep Tomar and the country's grapplers come out all guns blazing in Rio de Janerio.
