It was a given that Beijing Olympic bronze medallist and world champion, Sushil Kumar would win gold in the 66kg freestyle wrestling event at the Commonwealth Games in the capital yesterday

Sushil is worth more than gold

It was a given that Beijing Olympic bronze medallist and world champion, Sushil Kumar would win gold in the 66kg freestyle wrestling event at the Commonwealth Games in the capital yesterday.

People, who know the sport, had even wondered humoursly if Sushil's opponents would take the field to compete against him.

"Earlier, coaches used to think that a wrestling bout against an Indian wrestler is as good as a walkover. Not anymore though. In fact, I was speaking to the team and they told me 'sir ab koi bhi aajaye, hum toh maar denge.' They are a confident lot and they have self belief. That has made all the difference," Sushil's coach Satpal Singh told MiD DAY yesterday.u00a0

The 1982 Asian Games gold medallist also felt that Sushil is responsible for this positive turnaround in wrestling. "Sushil has been doing brilliantly at the international level. And because he is so down to earth and approachable, people tend to like him. He shares his experiences with the juniors and has become a driving force for them," said Satpal.

Satpal believes that Sushil has single handedly popularised the sport in the country and that it is time to capitalise on this upswing.

"I have been associated with wrestling as a player and coach for the past 42 years. These packed stadiums remind me of the days in the 1980s. People used to come and support us in large numbers. The atmosphere today is just like it used to be some decades ago. I remember Indira and Rajiv Gandhi congratulating me when I won a gold medal at the 1982 Asian Games. Rahul Gandhi came and boosted the morale of the wrestlers on Saturday," said Satpal.

Sushil said: "I am happy to contribute towards India's medal tally." Sushil was in devastating form yesterday. He finished off Heinrich Barnes, 7-0. India also clinched two sliver medals in the form of Anuj Kumar (84kg) and Joginder Kumar (120kg). Anil Kumar won the bronze in the 55kg event.

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