CHENNAI: Wednesday was a notable day for Indian wushu. Parveen Kumar became the first male from the country to become a world champion. The Services wushu athlete is the second Indian after Pooja Kadian — who did so in 2017 — to go the distance and finish as No 1 at the world event. In the 48 kg sanda final, Parveen, who hails from Haryana, got the better of Russel Diaz of Philippines.
“He literally smashed his opponents in the quarterfinals and semifinals, securing one-sided victories before the final,” India physio Muneer Ahmed told this daily from Shanghai, where the World Wushu Championships was being held. The event concluded on Wednesday. In the last-four stage, he had proven to be too potent for Uzbekistan’s Khasan Ikromov, recording a 2-0 win.
This is a big shot in the arm for the sport that has been cold-shouldered despite regular winning medals at the international level. Parveen and the rest of the team had undergone high-altitude training in Shilaroo (Himachal Pradesh) for 15 days. Following that, they had a 38-day camp in Bhopal. Those 53 days of grind saw them make history, and come back with four medals (one gold, two silver, three bronze). Veteran Y Sanathoi Devi (52kg), Poonam (75kg) fetched silver, while junior Asian champion Vikrant Baliyan (60kg) settled for bronze.
Muneer felt that Parveen deserved this China toast. “He had missed out on being Asian champ (settled for silver) in 2016. He has come a long way since then and deserves this.” One person who has trained the Army athlete is former India international and coach Rajvir Singh. Having coached the national side from 2015 to 2018, he knows a great deal about the campers. He is confident that Parveen, who’s No 1 in the country, can become No 1 at the world stage.
“We had high expectations. China and Iran are the main contenders. So when I saw the draw and there were no athletes from those two powerhouses, I was confident that he will go all the way. He’s a proven boxer and has medalled at Asian competitions in the past,” Rajvir said.With four medals, India finished 10th overall in the event that saw 37 nations participate. In the 2017 edition in Kazan, India had won five medals to finish 12th.