Just like Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt stands on a high pedestal in Indian wrestling. The country’s upwardly mobile march, which got triggered with Sushil’s Beijing Olympics bronze medal in 2008, has an essential contribution from Yogeshwar too. In fact, it was Yogeshwar who was touted as a medal hope in the Beijing Games. He was a tad unlucky though, to miss out on a podium finish. Four years later, Yogeshwar overcame a career-threatening knee injury to claim an Olympics bronze in London.
The story of Yogeshwar, hailing from Bhainswal Kalan village of Sonepat district, Haryana, is fascinating. Despite initial resistance from his teacher parents, he pursued wrestling and kept climbing the ladder of success.
“When he came to me as a seven-year-old kid in 1990, I used to tell him, ‘You are too young. Do not train so hard’. But he was amazingly focused. I was hardly surprised when he showed results within a year,” Master Satbir Singh had said after Yogeshwar’s feat in London.
The bronze medal in 2006 Doha Asian Games was the first big achievement for Yogeshwar, now 31. He overcame frequent injury problems to win two Asian Championship titles and as many Commonwealth Games crowns, including the recent one in Glasgow, besides the Olympics medal.
Yogeshwar’s rock-solid temperament and positive approach have always helped him. “I am an injury-prone person. I never let frustration get the better of me. If my legs are injured, I do the upper body and hand exercises. I never stop training,” says Yogeshwar.
His second gold medal in the recently-concluded Commonwealth Games again underscored his ability to turn the tide. “It is a big medal for me. I recovered from another injury to make a comeback after almost two years. Because of the weight changes, I had to get adjusted to a newer division.”
Life revolves around wrestling for this great grappler who, along with Sushil, has been responsible for lifting the profile of the sport and inspiring thousands of young and aspiring wrestlers. “We have been together since 17-18 years. We have won similar kinds of medals. We are like brothers.”
Yogeshwar is proud to be a member of the tribe of rustic sportspersons known for their humility and simplicity. “The wrestlers come from humble backgrounds. We get our sanskar from our parents and do not get swept off our feet (even after tasting success).”
