Published>Tue, Sep 14 10 11:08 AM
New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) India's first world champion wrestler Sushil Kumar came home to a hero's welcome here early Tuesday with hundreds of fans and junior grapplers turning up at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Sushil became the first Indian to win the World Championship after he defeated Russian Alan Gogaev in the final of the 66 kg freestyle in Moscow Sunday.
Flanked by his coach Satpal and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) secretary general Kartar Singh, Sushil came out of the airport amid loud cheers from fans. Both Satpal and Kartar are also former Asian Games gold medallists.
The 27-year-old Sushil, who looked tired, said he had been confident of winning the World Championship. He gave the credit to his coach Satpal, who had been with him when he won the Beijing Olympics bronze medal in 2008.
'I worked hard under my coach Satpal for the last one year and I am happy that I have done it. I had no tension before the final as I was well prepared for it. I fought the bout with a free mind and without any tension,' said Sushil.
'I have reached this stage because of my coach. My main focus is now the Commonwealth Games and I am confident of doing well there,' he said.
Just before his final bout, he said, team officials had told him that he was on the brink of becoming the first Indian to win the World Championship.
'But even though I knew that I was going to create history, I did not put myself under any extra pressure. My preparation for the world meet was good and I was sure that winning the gold would not be an impossible task.'
He said his semi-final bout against Jabrail Hasanov of Azerbaijan and the final against Gogaev were the toughest in his career.
Getting an Olympic bronze was tough, but for him the World Championship gold will be always special.
'In Beijing, I lost to a Ukrainian wrestler in the first round and had to go through the repechage rounds. It was a tough job as I had to win three bouts to get the bronze but nothing could be compared with the World Championship,' said Sushil.
Source: Web Search
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