Two ambitious and talented young men vaulted India into the multi-medal league with their sterling performances on a dramatic Wednesday at the Beijing Games.
Two ambitious and talented young men vaulted India into the multi-medal league with their sterling performances on a dramatic Wednesday at the Beijing Games. First, wrestler Sushil Kumar from Najafgarh won a hard-fought bronze in the 66kg freestyle division, and a few hours later, boxer Vijender Kumar from Bhiwani made the day memorable for India with an unexpected victory in the quarterfinals of the middleweight (75kg).
Vijender Kumar is now assured of at least a bronze, though the manner in which he pulled his opponent into submission suggests that a silver - even gold - may not be beyond him. Added to Abhinav Bindra’s gold in the 10 metre air rifle event last week, India now have a tally of at least three medals, which betters the one gold (hockey) and one bronze (wrestler Kha-Shaba Jadav) at the 1952 Helsinki games.
While the Olympic city was left buzzing with excitement over Usain Bolt’s sensational, record-breaking, track-singing effort in the 200m in 19.30 seconds, the Indian contingent was cock-a-hoop with two more medals in the kitty, neither of which was expected when the teams had reached Beijing.
Vijender’s superb display not only made up for the disappointment at Akhil Kumar losing in the quarter finals on Monday, but has highlighted the talent that exists in this sport in the country. Almost all the boxers, including Jitender Kumar who lost his quarterfinal in the flyweight (51) to, have done well in these Games. Jitender Kumar.
Sushil, a quiet 26-year-old from Boprala in Najafgarh, the western fringes of Delhi otherwise made famous by Virender Sehwag, held out the hope of a renaissance in our ancient calling of wrestling.
The grappler rode the opportunity on a format — repêchage— that is being used in the Games for the first time ever to win the bronze in the men’s freestyle 66kg category.
After losing his first match-up to Andriy Stadnik of the Ukraine in the second round, he had to wait and watch if his opponent made it all the way to the final. Sushil had a bye in the first round.
Once Stadnik went on to the last two, Sushil got an entry into the repêchage event that decides the two bronze medals.
Vijender with his good looks and demeanour is headed for the movies sooner or later but in the meanwhile he decided to script his own bit of history by earning India its first ever Olympic boxing medal.
“After my friends Akhil (Kumar) and Jitender (Kumar) lost, it was my responsibility to make sure that boxing delivered on the hopes that have been raised across the nation. I did,” he said later. The Haryana boxer beat Ecuador’s Carlos Gongora 9-4 on points.
Sushil’s first remark to the waiting press was basic of what Olympic sport keeps screaming about - lack of interest, from the public as well as the media. “You may not have believed in me, but I did,” he said. “No one gave me a chance, but I felt I could do it.”
The grappler came back from an impossible position after being tied on points at the end of three rounds against Kazakh Leonid Spiridonov in the medal match. The draw of lot gave the other the opportunity for a hold but Sushil beat the cinch with an incredible scissors kick to pin the Kazakh down prone and allowed the judges to announce a massive celebration across 1.1 billion people.
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