Indian wrestlers need attention, opportunity: Sushil

Jammu, Oct 6 (UNI) Olympian bronze medalist wrestler Sushil Kumar said Indian grapplers need attention and opportunity to prove their mettle in various competitions at national and international level as there is no dearth of talent in the country.

''India is full of talent as there is no dearth of players and sportspersons in the country especially the wrestlers but they need a breakthrough to come into the limelight,'' Sushil Kumar told reporters at a function organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Indian Style Wrestling Association at Katra yesterday.

Sushil was invited to be felicitated by the state administration and the wrestling association for his outstanding achievement at the Beijing Olympics.

Terming the 'Indo-Pak Mission Dosti' wrestling competition as an initiative to strengthen bonds, the wrestler said, ''wrestling competitions between India and Pakistan is a great initiative as such events play a major role in strengthening relations between the two countries besides promoting the sport.'' Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Indian Style Wrestling Association also honoured the Olympic medalist with Patron-in-Chief, Indian Style Wrestling Association of India, Khemji Rao Y H Patadia, who was the chief guest on the occasion, handing over a cash reward of Rs 51,000 to Sushil along with silver Gurj.

Freestyle wrestler Sushil Kumar won the bronze medal by defeating Leonid Spriridonov of Kazakhstan in the 66-kg category at the Beijing Olympics and thus became the second Indian wrestler after K D Jadhav who won a bronze in the 1952 Helsinki Games to win an Olympic medal.

UNI VBH AB KN1321