CHENNAI: “Age is an issue of mind... If you don’t mind it, it doesn’t matter..” Whenever there is a conversation with Sushil Kumar now, those famous words keep echoing in the mind. There is so much conviction and belief in his voice that you are forced to roll his age — he’s 36-years-old — into a ball and trash it without any qualm. The romanticism of sports sometimes tends to blur the sense of logic and it turns into a conflict between age-old reason and passion.
Sushil will be 37 next month, and by the time Olympics are held in Tokyo next year, he would be 38. But his mind still believes he can take one last lunge towards that goal. Controversies have kept dogging him since the 2012 Olympics. His appearances have been sporadic, more so after changing his weight category to 74kg. Even success has eluded him at the world and Asian level in the 74kg. His desire to compete, however, remains intense. “I am eyeing the Olympics next year,” he told this newspaper. “I am in touch with the game.
Though there is no sparring right now, I am going to start preparing for the Olympics once the lockdown is over. I am not out. On the other hand, I will have more time to prepare.” Not that lockdown has not disturbed his schedule, but he still believes Olympics is a possibility. “My family and I are following every bit of the lockdown. Everyone should follow lockdown as urged by our Prime Minister. It is very important right now. I’m also following social distancing and lockdown,” said the only multiple individual Olympic medallist from the country.
“It has definitely caused problems to athletes. My coach is stuck in Russia and there are no sparring sessions. I’m in touch with my coach in Russia and discussing training. My guruji (Satpal) also guides me (phone/online) on a regular basis. I am following their instructions.” Sushil, who had a first-round exit from the World Championships last year, skipped trials for the Asian Championships where Jitender won silver. The medal also secured him a place to wrestle in the Asian Olympic qualifiers that were eventually cancelled due to the coronavirus.
Technically, there is a chance for Sushil, especially after the return of Narsingh Yadav from a four-year doping suspension. The Wrestling Federation of India has said that Narsingh will be eligible. Though there had been a bitter tussle with Narsingh, Sushil welcomed him back and wished him luck. “I am keeping myself fit with whatever physical training I can do at my home gym. Squats and pushups are a regular feature too.” The former world champion feels the loss of practice means he will have to make new plans. “It’s not easy for any athlete to maintain his performance,” he said. “It is difficult to peak and then ebb and again train to peak. It’s not easy. I have been practising quite rigorously, aiming for this year’s Olympics. Now that it has been shifted I have to draw up a new programme.” “I will think about practising and strategy after the lockdown,” he said.