Wrestler Sushil Kumar will stop at ‘nothing less than a medal’

Sushil Kumar tells DNA that world championship win is just another achievement and he won’t let expectations get to him at CWG.

Wouldn’t there be extra pressure now that you are also a world champion?
No. I have been dealing with pressure for so many years. World championship is just another achievement. But that is not my ultimate goal and therefore everything still is a challenge for me and there is a lot of motivation to perform better. For me, it is about participating in every competitive event and ensuring that I go there with a free mind.

How do you train yourself to deal with pressure?
I have been practicing Yoga and meditation for a long time now. It is necessary for athletes in power games to have control over themselves and that the focus remains on the sport. Therefore, I have been doing various asanas to keep myself calm even under pressure.

Do you think athletes are giving CWG a miss as they don’t take it seriously?
No. Not at all. In many disciplines, CWG event comes next to Olympics. Every athlete wants to come to Commonwealth Games. There is no such thing called ‘not taking seriously’. Some athletes, who are not fit would miss the event. It can happen during Olympics or Worlds too.

How is the training coming out?
We have been working religiously. At the same time, we are also pretty match fit since some of us participated at the Worlds in Russia. For us, it is more important to remain fit and maintain consistency. Most of my teammates are going into the Games in their peak form. Some of them have won medals at top events in the last one year. And let me tell you, amongst all of us no one is favourite. All of us have equal chances to win medals. The Asian championships happened at the same venue and it will be helpful as we do have a good feel of the platform too.

Therefore India’s chances should be good…
Yes. We have traditionally been strong in wrestling and this time around we will only improve on it. We will better all the previous marks. For my money Anil Kumar (55kg), Yogeshwar Dutt (60) and Narsingh Yadav (74) are the best prospects.

And you will also be expected to win…
That’s obvious. After winning the World championship, I would be expected to win nothing less than a gold. Since the time I have come back from Russia and joined the camp in Sonepat, it has been an experience to remember. I was welcomed with a bang. It motivates me to do better.

What next for the World Champion…
London Games. I understand that there is a long time to go. Knowing that there needs to be precise planning to peak at the right time.