Sushil Kumar is a two-time Olympic medallist for India. He has been a champion performer for the country in the past few years winning gold medals in World Championships as well as Commonwealth Games.
In an exclusive interview with the Hindustan Times, he was asked about his view on various topics ranging from his fitness, to trials and his thoughts on Narsingh Pancham Yadav, the Indian wrestler who has qualified for the Rio Olympics in the same 74kg weight category as Sushil Kumar.
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When asked about his view on trials he said, “Of course, they should be held. I am not saying this because I am a party in this case, but because there has to be a proper system when it comes to such situations. Last week, Jordan Burroughs, the reigning world and Olympic champion, had to undergo trials to win a place in the US team. How else can anyone ascertain whether someone is in form when major championships are near?”
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Though he has been very successful for India in the past, it is not the same this time as Kumar has not competed professionally since the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow missing the World Championships as well as the 2014 Asian Games held in Incheon, South Korea.
When asked how he feels about his own fitness and whether he is concerned of not having participated for almost two years now he said, ”In my view, I am fitter than in 2012. Even the foreign experts attached with the Indian team think I have never been this fit in the last four years.”
“I could have participated in the 2014 Asian Games but I wasn’t fully fit. I wouldn’t want to be in a situation wherein I go somewhere and have to withdraw. That will be an embarrassment for my countrymen as they expect a lot from us. Besides, I will never stand in the way of a teammate if I am unfit. The country comes first.”
Narsingh Pancham Yadav is one of the athletes supported through Sushil4sports, a charitable initiative run by Sushil Kumar himself. When asked about this strange fact he said, “He has done us proud and was the first one to qualify. He respects me a lot, but this is wrestling. You may come across brothers in a bout, but we have to be professional.”
Apart from Narsingh, former Olympic bronze medallist Yogeshwar Dutt has qualified for the men’s 65kg freestyle event, and Sandeep Tomar has qualified for the men’s 57kg freestyle.
Also, India will be represented in the Greco-Roman event for the first time in 12 years since the 2004 Athens Games as Hardeep Singh created history at the Asian Qualification event.
