The great wrestler!
Sushil Kumar, free-style wrestler, is the first Indian to win back to back individual Olympic medals — Bronze in 2008 and Silver in 2012.
Born to Kamla Devi and Diwan Singh on 26 May 1983, in Baprola, located on the outskirts of New Delhi, Sushil Kumar’s father, a bus driver by profession, used to be a huge wrestling enthusiast; but it was his cousin, Sandeep who actually inspired Sushil to take up wrestling professionally.
Thus in 1997, at the tender age of 14, Sushil started training at an “Akhada” in Chhatrasal Stadium, New Delhi. The very next year, Sushil won his first ever tournament at the World Cadet Games. Two years later, he went on to win another Gold at the Asian Junior Wrestling Championship to emerge as one of the most promising young wrestling talents in the country!
He never looked back since and over his illustrious career, Sushil Kumar has won 10 Gold, 2 Silver and 5 Bronze medals participating in the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, the Olympics and the World Championships! He has also been awarded the Arjuna Award in 2005, Padma Shri in 2011 and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna which is India’s highest sporting honour!
