A Delhi Police ‘lookout notice’ for embellished wrestler Sushil Kumar, India’s lone double particular person Olympic medallist, in reference to a wrestler’s homicide final week may make dad and mom rethink on encouraging their children to take up the game, says former world junior bronze medal winner Virender Kumar. Sushil, employed with Indian Railways, is in focus as he’s posted as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at Chhattrasal Stadium, the place the brawl allegedly occurred. Former worldwide Greco Roman wrestler Sagar Dhankar, 23, died on May 4 after a bunch of wrestlers allegedly beat him up, both contained in the stadium or round it.
According to Delhi Police, Sushil is absconding. “A lookout discover has been issued for Sushil Kumar,” Dr Guriqbal Singh Sidhu, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (North West Delhi), had told IANS on Monday.
Virender, who won 58kg freestyle bronze at the 1992 World Junior Championship, is worried about the implication of the case on wrestling, particularly on youngsters who want to take the sport up as a career.
“Parents would be scared to send their young kids for practice. Elderly people in the family would definitely think twice before sending youngsters to wrestling halls for training as no one would like their children to be part of bad company and bring a bad name to the family,” Virender instructed IANS.
“When Sushil received his first Olympic medal, a bronze within the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, it modified the mind-set of Indian wrestlers; they thought they too may win medals on the world stage. But if a star like Sushil’s identify has cropped up in a significant controversy and Delhi Police have issued a lookout discover in opposition to him, it could ship a incorrect message to budding wrestlers. If younger athletes should not disciplined they’ll by no means turn into good gamers or good residents,” the 50-year-old coach said.
Virender has a long-standing relationship with Sushil, the Olympic medallist’s father-in-law Satpal, and Chhattrasal Stadium, the wrestling hub in north-west Delhi. Virender is also the husband of Satpal’s sister. He, as a wrestler, learnt his first lessons at Chhattrasal Stadium and was later posted at the same venue as a coach. But, he seems to have fallen out with Sushil, the OSD at the stadium, and was transferred to another school in east Delhi in August last year. “It is good for me that I’m out of Chhatrasal Stadium,” he mentioned.
According to Virender, wrestling services at Chhatrasal Stadium had been arrange in 1988. “The basis stone of wrestling at Chhatrasal Stadium was laid by 1982 Asian Games gold medallist Satpal Singh. There had been 5 or 6 wrestlers within the first group. I used to be one among them,” he pointed out.
Virender, a former national medallist, has been working with the Delhi government as a coach for some time. He is hurt as Chhatrasal Stadium, which has been home to him and several international wrestlers, has been mired in this unsavoury incident involving one of India’s most successful wrestlers.
Virender said there are currently more than 200 registered wrestlers in the 10-15-year age group train at Chhatrasal Stadium. “Some senior wrestlers like Ravi Dahiya and Sumit Malik, who have qualified for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, also train at the stadium,” he mentioned.
With an intention to strengthen the ecosystem of sports activities inside the Delhi Education Department, Sushil in 2015 joined Delhi authorities on deputation from Indian Railways as an OSD. His workplace was on the Chhatrasal Stadium. “But his [Sushil] administrative selections weren’t acceptable to a number of wrestlers and so they stop the stadium to coach elsewhere,” alleged Virender.
After clinching bronze at the 2008 Olympics, Sushil, now 37, bagged silver at the 2012 London Olympics. He also won gold at the 2010 Moscow World Championship and three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, in 2010, 2014, and 2018.
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