Yogeshwar Dutt has begun his quest for an eluding world championship medal after overcoming a troubling calf-muscle and some robust opponents to snatch the first Asian Games wrestling gold medal for the country in three decades.
Two years ago, Yogeshwar won hearts because of his spirited fights which earned him a bronze medal in the London Olympics. He stamped his class with an exemplary exhibition of attacking and defensive skills while claiming top honours in the recently-concluded Asian Games.
In Incheon, Yogeshwar discovered a newer side of his persona as he went past several hurdles to record one of his best showings till date.
“Normally, we get good variety of food in big games. But finding vegetarian food was difficult in Korea and I lost some weight because of that. One of my calf muscles was also tight and it got aggravated there. Whenever I got an opportunity, I tried to sit on the mat and give that muscle some rest,” Yogeshwar told The Hindu .
“The quality of competition was as good as one finds in the Olympics and the world championships. No doubt, this is one of the top performances of my career,” he said.
Yogeshwar, who will turn 32 in less than a month, explained how he used his experience to get over adverse situations. “I was determined to win the title and stayed away from negative thoughts. In the semifinals, when I was trailing 4-7 against the Chinese, I remained patient as there was enough time to make a comeback. The Chinese (Katai Yeerlanbieke) had solid defence and you see very few wrestlers like him.
“The final (against Zalimkhan Yusupov of Tajikistan) was also a tough bout. Even though the scoreline read 1-0, I had to mix my attacking and defensive skills to stay ahead throughout the contest,” he said.
AdaptationYogeshwar, also the Commonwealth Games champion, said he had adapted to his new weight category and the change in rules.
“I have won three gold medals after switching to the new weight this year. The new rules favour attacking wrestling and I am fine with it. Our wrestlers are aggressive and can last long on the mat.”
The Haryana grappler, who experienced long layoffs in the past due to injuries, said he would pick and choose events next year while keeping an eye on the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“I am an injury-prone person and have to be careful while choosing events. I am yet to win a medal in the world championship and that is my next target. Winning a gold medal there will also fetch me an Olympics berth.”
Yogeshwar had a good word for the next generation of wrestlers, including his protege Bajrang who bagged the 61kg freestyle silver in Incheon.
“We could have gathered more medals in the Asiad, but some of the youngsters were unlucky. They will learn from their experience. Bajrang is also on the path of improvement and will become better with time,” said Yogeshwar.
