Press Trust of India
New Delhi, Jan 13: India’s only double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar said Wednesday that he is raring to compete in his fourth Olympics in Rio de Janeiro later this year. However, he also informed that he has no plans of quitting and would like to maintain his fitness to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Sushil had earlier hinted that the Rio Olympics would be his last international meet. The 32-year-old’s longtime friend and fellow wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt has already made it clear that Rio will be his final Olympic appearance.
“I don’t remember saying that Rio will be my last Olympics. That is not my wish. My wish is to keep competing as long as I can and why not 2020 Olympics if I am able to maintain fitness. Jab taq body fit hain tab taq khelte rahenge (I will keep wrestling as long as my body holds),” Sushil stated after the launch of his brainchild ‘Sushil4Sports’, an initiative aimed at supporting athletes from various disciplines.
Sushil will have to beat Narsingh Yadav in the men’s 74kg trials to participate in Rio. Narsingh has already earned India an Olympic quota place by winning a bronze in the World Championship in Las Vegas in September last year.
Is he feeling the pressure of trials? “It is very simple as far Narsingh and I are concerned. Whoever wins the trial will go to Rio. We have trained together for many years now and we are friends. But on the mat we will have our own goals,” asserted Sushil. “All I can say is that I am fully fit now and am raring to start wrestling again.”
