Time to look beyond Sushil Kumar?
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In 2008, Bajrang Punia, then a 14-year-old, looked in wonder at the TV set in Chhatrasal Stadium along with his fellow trainees. Sushil Kumar, a prodigy of the same venue, had just won a bronze at the Beijing Olympics. “I had joined Chhatrasal in 2008. Our focus was on the two wrestlers from our stadium who went to the Olympics — Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt. Sushil returned home successful while Yogeshwar missed narrowly. However, four years later (in London) he too won an Olympics medal,” says Punia.
A decade later, as Punia, with three straight gold in international events, eyes a strong finish at the Asian Games, he will most likely have a familiar face in the contingent — Sushil. The legend that the latter has become in Indian wrestling, it is impossible to count Sushil out if he decides to compete at the continental games.
The 35-year-old will chase a maiden Asian Games gold. But despite a top place finish at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, where the competition was mediocre, Sushil’s form is a cause for worry. After rumours about his fitness, Sushil also lost to Polish wrestler, Andrzej Piotr Sokalski, at the Tbilisi Grand Prix in early July. He is now back in Georgia for a 10-day camp, and insisted before leaving that he is fit. “I’ve been training like a monk. You can’t even imagine how hard I have been trying,” he said in a press meet.
At 35, despite his claims of being fully fit, it would be too stretched to expect him to carry India’s expectations alone, especially in a physical sport like wrestling.
In Jakarta, the younger lot would be expected to take over the baton from the veteran. The last time the Indonesian city hosted the Asian Games in 1962, Indian wrestlers brought home three gold medals — their best show ever.
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The 24-year-old Punia, who won a silver at the 2014 Incheon Games, is a bright prospect. He is competing in the same category in which his guru Yogeshwar Dutt had broken Indian wrestling’s 28-year gold jinx at the Asian Games. Mausam Khatri (97kg) is another veteran campaigner while Pawan Kumar (86kg), husband of Geeta Phogat, is likely to face tough competition in his weight category.
Sandeep Tomar (57kg) and Sumit (125kg) have also been at the top level for quite some time, but their weight categories have been dominated by Kazakhstan wrestlers in recent times.
Indian women wrestlers have so far returned with four medals from the Games, with one of those won by Vinesh Phogat in 2014. She is the cousin of celebrated wrestlers Geeta and Babita and is one of the brightest prospects in the 50kg category. She returned home with a gold from the Gold Coast CWG and would be expected to give tough competition to her Japanese and Chinese counterparts.
Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik (62 kg) is another prospect. She had to be satisfied with a bronze at the CWG after a long break from wrestling. However, the Haryana girl insists that her preparation has been satisfactory.