My next goal is to win the world championship: Yogeshwar Dutt

How special was it to win the gold medal in Incheon? After all, you won the big prize with a strained calf muscle...
The (2012) London (Olympics) bronze medal was also special. That said, the semifinal against the Chinese opponent was very special for the simple reason that we wrestlers had not been getting proper food to eat here in Incheon. We are not used to eating bread, especially during bout days, so I was feeling a bit weak. I don't even eat eggs, so that was probably the reason that my calf muscle got strained during the bout. But I took some rest before the final. That helped me get back into shape. I was determined to not let this chance go waste.

Were you under pressure to end Indian wrestling's 28-year-long wait for an Asian Games gold medal?
When I was being carried out after the semifinal bout, I was only thinking about how to get back on the mat. Certainly, the 28-year-wait was playing on my mind. But it was more of a motivating factor. Bajrang, too, came very close to winning the final, but unfortunately his inexperience came in the way.

How do you motivate yourself when you are not wrestling? Do wrestlers need some kind of psychological support?
(Laughs) Wrestlers are a different breed altogether. We come from very humble backgrounds and that's why mental toughness is our forte. All of us have seen poverty and also helped our parents in the fields. Our senior wrestlers have always helped us to prepare for the big tournaments. So, a 'mental trainer' may not be a good idea for our sport.

After the London bronze, you hardly took part in big tournaments?
I injured my knee while fighting a Pakistani wrestler on January 4, 2013 in a 'dangal' (domestic tournament) after London. The rest of the year was spent getting my knee treated. At one point during that period, I actually thought I wouldn't wrestle again. Doctors in South Africa and Germany told me they could not guarantee anything. But a doctor in Mumbai, who had treated me earlier, diagnosed that the ligament was only partly torn. He told me it could be healed and strengthened by weight training.

So, it was just strength training during that time...
There was no way out for me. I still do strength training thrice a week. Hopefully, my knee will stand firm and I will not have to undergo any surgery till the Rio Games in 2016.

When did you finally wrestle again?
It was only in January 2014 that I finally started mat practice. The championship in Sassari City, Italy (in the first week of June) was my first big exposure and winning gold there in the 65 kg category boosted my confidence.

While in Incheon, were you in touch with your family?
Not really. I don't buy a phone card during the course of a competition. But I was in touch with my brother and Sushil (Kumar) via messenger and they kept motivating me.

Do you plan to start an academy like Sushil?
Not immediately. But certainly after the Rio Olympics. The Haryana government has given me a two-acre plot in Bahadurgarh and I am going to train young wrestlers after my retirement.

What are you dreams now?
I have won medals at the Olympic and Asian Games. Now, I want to win a medal at the world championship. I will go all out in 2015 to fulfill this ambition. I deliberately pulled out of the recent world championship because I wanted to be fit for the Asian Games. Four years down the line, I may not be in a position to go to the next Asiad.

What about marriage?
Not before Rio.

Isn't your mother asking you to get married?
(Laughs) Yes, she is after my life. But she also understands that I have a few more goals in life. Moreover, I'm very shy and stay away from girls. I don't attend any (social) functions for this reason.

Bajrang has always credited you for his success?
He is like my younger brother. We've been staying together since 2007 and he doing well. He still has lot to learn and go a long way. I would say that it was his inexperience against that Iranian wrestler (Masoud Esmaeilpoorjouybari) that cost him the gold medal. He could not maintain his lead in the last 40 seconds. But this is how you learn.

How much satisfaction does it give you that you and Sushil have popularised wrestling in India?
Yes, it feels good that we have done that for the younger generation. But we have got so much love in return from our countrymen. There is still a long way for Indian wrestling. This will not stop with me and Sushil. The next generation of wrestlers will keep performing. I can only say that Yogeshwar is nothing without wrestling.

POWER YOG
Tournament Medal Year Category
Olympics Bronze 2012 60kg Freestyle
Asian Games Gold 2014 65kg Freestyle
Asian Games Bronze 2006 60kg Freestyle
Asian Wresting Gold 2012 60kg Freestyle
CWG Gold 2010 60kg Freestyle
CWG Gold 2014 65kg Freestyle
CW Wrestling Gold 2007 60kg Freestyle
CW Wrestling Silver 2007 60kg Greco-Roman
CW Wrestling Gold 2005 60kg Freestyle
CW Wrestling Silver 2005 60kg Greco-Roman
CW Wrestling Gold 2003 55kg Freestyle