STORY OF A WRESTLER FROM MUD PITS OF WEST DELHI TO OLYMPIC PODIUM

1. SUSHIL KUMAR – THE MAN WHO WON TWO
OLYMPIC MEDALS FOR INDIA
Story of A Wrestler and His Inspiring Journey
From Mud Pits of West Delhi to Olympic Podiums…

2. Quick Facts
Personal & Sport
Nationality Indian
Born 26 May 1983,
Baprola, Delhi
Height 166 cm (5 ft 5
in)
Father Diwan Singh
Mother Kamla Devi
Sport
Country India
Sport Wrestling
Event(s) Wrestling
Club NIS, Delhi
Coached by Satpal Singh,
Yashvir Singh

3. Personal Life
• Born and grown up from a non-descript village on the outskirts of West
Delhi on 26 May 1983, Sushil Kumar Solanki has achieved international
medals than any other Indian athlete.
• His father was a driver and his mother is a housewife.
• Kumar was inspired to take up wrestling by his father, himself a wrestler,
and his cousin Sandeep. Sandeep later stopped as the family could only
support one wrestler.

4. Career
• Sushil Kumar started his wrestling career at the age of 14.
• At first he had choosen ‘pehlwani’, a popular form of wrestling in Indian
continental and started his training at the Chhatrasal Stadium’s coaching
center.
• There he was trained by Yashvir singh.
• Later Sushil Kumar has switched to ‘Freestyle’ wrestling, a form of
amateur wrestling practiced throughout the world and one of the two
styles of wrestling contested in Olympic games.

5. Career
• Being from a below middle class Indian family, his achievements were a
result of lots of hard work and dedications.
• From training in mud pits to sharing room with other 20 boys in training
camp, he had to take giant leaps to reach where he stands today.
• Even while in Olympic 2008 Indian team, as a result of minimal funds for
wrestling training facilities in India, his family had to supply the
nutritional food items to make sure that he obtained necessary dietary
supplements.

6. Participations & Achievements
Sushil Kumar after winning 2008 Beijing Olympics Sushil Kumar at 2012 London Olympics

7. Participations & Achievements
• Sushil Kumar has won his first international tournament when he
emerged as the gold medal winner at the World Cadet Games in 1998.
• He has participated in 3 Olympics and won a silver and bronze medal,
which made him the only Indian to win two individual Olympic medals.
• Apart from Olympics, Sushil Kumar has participated and won medals
from various international tournaments including Asian Games and
Commonwealth Games.

8. In Beijing Olympics 2008
• His 2008 Olympic medal for India was first since Khashaba Dadasaheb
Jadhav’s bronze medal at the 1952 Olympics.
• When participating in 2008’s Beijing Olympics Sushil Kumar was an
unknown figure even for most of mainstream Indian medias.
• At earlier match in Beijing Olympics he lost first round to Ukraniyan’s
Andriy Standik and left the hopes to achieve any medals.
• However he made a dramatic come back after winning three consecutive
matches and won bronze medal for India.

9. In Beijing Olympics 2008
• Sushil Kumar defeated American Doug Schwab, then Belarussian
Albert Batyrov and finally Leonid Spiridonov of Kazakhstan to win
his bronze medal in Olympics.
• Sushil Kumar was the third and final Indian to won a medal in
Beijing Olympics.
• Let’s watch then the 25 year old Sushil Kumar’s winning moments
in Beijing Olympics 2008.

11. In London Olympics 2012
• Sushil’s silver medal in London Olympics was India’s sixth and final
medal in 2012 Olympics.
• By winning 2012 Olympics medal Sushil Kumar becomes the first
Indian to win two individual Olympic medals.
• Sushil has defeated Kazakhstan’s Akzhurek Tanatarov in semi final
to achieve his silver medal in Olympics.

12. In London Olympics 2012
• Sushil Kumar was suffering from vomiting and dehydration following his
semi-final victory.
• However, despite his illness he bravely fought against his strong
Japanese rival Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu.
• Though Sushil was ended as runner up his performance in London
Olympics was widely hailed.
• The next video shows his semi-final winning performance in London
Olympic 2012.

14. International Achievements at a Glance
MEDAL VENUE EVENT(S)
2008 Beijing Olympics 66 KG Freestyle
2012 London Olympics 66 KG Freestyle
2010 Moscow World Championships 66 KG Freestyle
2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games 66 KG Freestyle
2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games 74 KG Freestyle
2006 Doha Asian Games 66 KG Freestyle
2003 New Delhi Asian Championships 60 KG Freestyle
2007 Bishkek Asian Championships 66 KG Freestyle
2008 Jeju Island Asian Championships 66 KG Freestyle
2010 New Delhi Asian Championships 66 KG Freestyle
2003 London Commonwealth Championships 60 KG Freestyle

15. International Achievements at a Glance
MEDAL VENUE EVENT(S)
2005 Cape Town Commonwealth Championship 66 KG Freestyle
2005 Cape Town Commonwealth Championship 66 KG Greco-Roman
2007 London Commonwealth Championship 66 KG Freestyle
2009 Jalandhar 66 KG Freestyle

16. Awards & Rewards
• Arjuna Award 2005
• Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2016
• Padma Shri 2011
• Sushil Kumar has won many cash awards from various governments
and organizations for his achievements in Beijing Olympics,
London Olympics and World Wrestling Championships.

17. A True Model for Many
• After winning bronze medal in Rio Olympics in 2016, Sakshi Malik,
India’s female wrestler said she was greatly inspired by Sushil
Kumar.
• When a leading liquor brand offered him Rs. 50 lakh to appear in a
surrogate ad, the India’s flag bearer in Olympcis 2012 said
“I don’t want to be associated with a liquor brand in any form
as it would send a wrong signal to the youth.”

19. END