Hard work and planning paid off, says Sushil

Sushil Kumar said rigorous hard work and planning had resulted in the gold rush for the wrestlers in the Games.

Fielding a wide variety of questions, ranging from his professional to personal life, a relaxed-looking Sushil told mediapersons on Monday that his unwavering focus held the key to his success.

“It is all because of the good planning of the federation and the coaches. There was a lot of stress on fitness and the support staff also contributed a lot. So, there was no way I could lose,” he said, adding that all the wrestlers were peaking for bigger challenges ahead.

Sushil remembered how he overcame the strenuous task of making to-and-fro between Sonepat and Delhi for a dope test just a day before his contest.

Taking its toll

“I had to lose four to five kg. Since I have no fat (in my body), it takes the toll on the body to lose weight. To stay in empty stomach and doing all this was tough as it did not allow me time for recovery. But it was a random test, nobody could help it,” said the 27-year-old World champion.

He said his main target was to shine in the London Olympics. Of course, that does not allow him to take the upcoming Asian Games lightly.

Asked to pick one from his World championship, Asian championship and Commonwealth Games gold medals, Sushil had this to say. “Asian championship was challenging. The World championship medal gave a different feeling, it boosted my confidence. Now, winning the Commonwealth Games crown before the home crowd is special,” he said.

Like a true champion, Sushil said he was never bothered about awards and honours. “If I keep giving my best, these things will come automatically,” he said.

Tough test

After one-and-a-half years of lay-off due to injury, the test was tough for 60kg winner Yogeshwar Dutt. “It was a difficult phase. But I got the support of so many people and I happy to be back in action,” he said.

The 74kg champion Narsingh Yadav, who came in as a replacement for Sumit following a positive dope test, had to race against time. “When I got the chance, I had just one month to prepare myself for the event. Thankfully, I did it,” he said.

There had been a lot of speculation over wrestling's inclusion in the 2014 Glasgow Games. Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President G.S. Mander tried to put things into perspective. “Freestyle is already there. But we are trying to put pressure for the inclusion of Greco Roman and women's wrestling. The final decision will be taken later,” he said.

Mander urged the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) to change its approach and include wrestling as a major sport. “All the three styles are there in the Olympics and the Asian Games. So why it should not be part of the Commonwealth Games?” said Mander.