Sushil Kumar's journey: From mud pits to the Olympic podiums
From being the son of a DTC bus conductor to becoming the first Indian sportsperson to win back-to-back medals at the world's biggest sporting extravaganza -- the Olympic Games -- grappler Sushil Kumar has indeed come a long way.
Growing up in a non-descript village called Baprola on the outskirts of the national capital, the ever-modest Sushil today etched his name in history with his silver medal in the 66kg free style category, bettering the bronze he had clinched four summers ago in Beijing.
Sushil looked almost unstoppable till Japanese Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu halted his charge by getting the better of him 3-1 in the gold-medal contest.
Nevertheless, even the silver was enough for the 29-year-old to record his name in annals of Indian sports.
If the bronze in the Chinese capital awakened the country to Sushil's potential, the white metal reaffirmed his status as one of the best in the business.
The bronze in Beijing woke up millions of Indians to this stockily built man who transformed the 'badmashon ka khel' with its 'dhobi-pachad' into a well-respected game.
Sushil was inspired to take up the sport by his cousin Sandeep. However, Sandeep quit the sport because the family could support just one wrestler and Sushil was the chosen one.
It was a decision that the family would not have to regret now. A silver and bronze medal in Olympics, world championship gold and a CWG gold medal on home soil in Delhi two years ago, Sushil has justified the faith of not just his family but billions
