Sushil gets walkover recorded

New Delhi, November 12
In a matter of minutes, the supposed trial bout involving Sushil Kumar and contender Dinesh in the 74kg category got over, clearing the way for the two-time Olympics medallist to represent Railways in the National Championships.
The third wrestler, Praveen Rana, did not even bother to show up at the Kishenganj akahada, the main centre for wrestling of the Railways.
Dinesh appeared in a singlet but did not compete, giving a walkover to Sushil in front of the referee and other officials who were present to ensure that the trial was held as per the rules. The whole episode was recorded to prove that the walkover happened as per the laid-out rules of engagement.
Sushil is gearing up for a comeback next year and wants to make sure nothing goes wrong this time after his futile attempts to compete at the Rio Olympics last year. He had been thwarted by a Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) submission in the Delhi High Court on the basis of which his plea for a trial bout against Narsingh Yadav was rejected before the Olympics. WFI had contended that the wrestler hadn’t fought a single bout after 2014.
Comeback man
“I don’t give credence to anything negative. I only give importance to what I need to do,” Sushil told The Tribune today. “I don’t need to accomplish anything now. The reason I am doing this is because I still love what I do.”
“I had decided long back to participate in the National Championships, today was only a formality that was needed to be done,” he added.
Sushil cut short his training stint at the Pehelwan Club in Tbilisi, Georgia, when he heard about the scheduled trial, returning to the Capital on Saturday.
Today, after the walkover, Sushil went into training mode. A six-minute bout against Harful (65kg) was followed by one against Satender, who fights in the 96kg weight division.
After that he returned to the Chhatrasal Stadium, where he did 1,000 chin-ups. “I am getting there. I have been training hard since the last two months, but let me tell you I would have still trained even if I wasn’t participating,” Sushil said. If Sushil finishes among the top-four at the Nationals, he will become eligible to join the national camp, which is the first big step towards regaining his place in the national squad.
‘Taking no chances’
Vinod Kumar, the former chief India coach under whom both Sushil and Yogeshwar Dutt bagged medals at the London Olympics in 2012, said Sushil was keen to give out a strong signal after what happened before the Rio Olympic Games.
“A lot of people said that Sushil should have fought bouts after 2014. Though he was permitted by the WFI to stay away, it ultimately played a role (in scuttling his chances),” Kumar said. “So this time we are mindful not to give out any reason that may hurt his chances.” “Why do you think today’s walkover was recorded? It was done so that if tomorrow someone has a doubt about today’s proceedings, we can show the video,” he added.