Sushil Kumar has won a total of 17 medals across Olympics, CWG, Asian Games, World Championships and various other accolades.
Born in Najafgarh's Baprola village, Sushil Kumar is an Indian freestyle wrestler who used to fight in the 66kg category and now fights in the 74 kg category. Kumar, who started his wrestling journey by doing pehlwani in akhada of Delhi's Chhatrasal Stadium when he 14, has his life turned upside down, 24 years later because of an incident at the same venue.
But not before, Kumar has been one of the most decorated sportspersons in the country winning 17 medals and various accolades, awards and honours in the field of wrestling. Sushil Kumar became the only Indian (since independence) to win two Olympic medals after he won a silver medal in London Olympics 2012 following his bronze medal win in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Not just the medals, Kumar has also won Arjuna Award in 2005, Rajiv Khel Ratna Award - India's highest sporting honour in 2009 and Padma Shri in 2011.
Let's take a look at some of his most memorable wins:
1. Sushil Kumar's 2008 Beijing Olympics Bronze medal win
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Sushil Kumar didn't have a great start to his Beijing Olympics Games in 2008 as he lost to Andriy Stadnik in the first round of the 66 kg freestyle wrestling event, and his hopes hinged on the repechage to have any chance of winning a medal. So, to win at least a bronze medal, he had to win at least three games and Kumar just turned his campaign around like the first game didn't even take place.
He defeated Doug Schwab in the first repechage round and Albert Batyrov in the second round. In the bronze medal match, Kumar beat Leonid Spiridonov 3:1. Kumar played three bouts in a span of 70 minutes to take the bronze.
2. Sushil Kumar's 2012 London Olympics Silver medal win
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Sushil Kumar replicated his Beijing success and only better in the next Olympic Games as he won a silver medal after losing the final to Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu. He entered the final by beating Kazakhastan's Akzhurek Tanatarov in the semifinal.
3. Sushil Kumar's 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games Gold medal win
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Sushil Kumar won a gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in Delhi by beating Heinrich Barnes 7–0 in the finals in the 66 kg freestyle wrestling category. Kumar beat Famara Jarjou 3-0 within 9 seconds to advance to the final after coming off a win in 46 seconds by 10-0 against Muhammad Salman.
4. Sushil Kumar's 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games Gold medal win
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Sushil Kumar won his second Commonwealth Games gold medal four years later in Glasgow Scotland after he defeated Qamar Abbas in the final in the 74 kg category. He won in 107 seconds by fall.
5. Sushil Kumar's 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Gold medal win
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Sushil Kumar won third gold medal in 3 consecutive Commonwealth Games in the 74 kg category by beating South Africa’s Johannes Botha in the final that lasted 80 seconds.
6. Sushil Kumar accused in Delhi brawl
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Sushil Kumar has now been accused of being one of the accomplices in the wrestler murder case that took place on May 4 at Delhi's Chhatrasal Stadium and has been absconding since and the Delhi Police has put out a Rs 1 lakh reward for any information on him.
