The Hindu : Sport / Wrestling : My aim was to bring home the gold, says Ramesh

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My aim was to bring home the gold, says Ramesh

Special Correspondent

Beating Kiril was my happiest moment
The real joy was in learning that I had broken a jinx

NEW DELHI: After reaching the Capital in the early hours of Friday, Ramesh Kumar could barely rest through the day.

Armed with a bronze medal in the 74-kg class of the on-going World wrestling championship at Herning, Denmark, Ramesh was understandably the most sought after sportsperson by the media.

In spite of all the attention, Ramesh was sad that he could not win the gold despite beating the Beijing Olympic bronze medallist Bulgaria’s Kiril Terziev to make the semifinals.

“I was actually aiming only for the gold. But in the semifinals, I could not wriggle out of the grip of Azerbaijan’s C. Chamsulvarayev. I was very disappointed with this loss. In fact, even when I was fighting for the bronze, I was very sad.”

It was only after he won the bout that Ramesh learnt about the bronze being the first medal for India from the World championship in 42 years. “The real joy was learning that fact that I had broken the jinx of Indian wrestling that lasted more than 40 years.”

A former World champion in the cadet and junior categories, Ramesh said, “Winning the first bout (against USA’s Dustin Schlatter) made me very happy. I was aware of the credentials of this champion from America. The next one against England No. 1 Michael Grundy was a comfortable bout for me.

“Beating Kiril was without doubt the happiest moment for me but the loss in the next round was shattering. In the play-off for the bronze, where we have a best-of-three round bout, I lost the first round 0-3 but kept my focus to win the next two, 2-0 and 5-4.”

India’s third

The medal, India’s third in the men’s World championship after Uday Chand’s bronze medal in 1961 in Japan and Bishambhar Singh’s silver in 1967 at home, has made the wrestling fraternity proud for the second time in 13 months.

Last August, it was Sushil Kumar’s Olympic bronze from Beijing that caught the nation’s imagination.

“I think, more than the established wrestlers, this medal will inspire the younger ones. The young wrestlers should feel motivated about the medal in the Olympics and now from the World championship. I hope wrestling gains from these exploits.”

Good year

Ramesh, a Railway employee who hails from Sonepat (in Haryana) but trains at the Railway ‘akhara’ here, has done very well this year. He won the gold in the 25th Ibrahim Moustafa International at Luxor (Egypt) in February, claimed a bronze in the Asian championship at Pattaya (Thailand) in May and settled for another bronze in the Grand Prix at Dortmund (Germany) in June.

“I have been getting all support from our federation and Railways. In fact, I have been promised a promotion,” said a beaming Ramesh who went on to add, “some sponsorship support is welcome.” Ramesh, who turns 28 in November, had enjoyed a good 2005 before recurring injuries slowed down his progress.

Ramesh won the gold in the 2005 Commonwealth championship in London and also the bronze in the Asian championship in Wuhan (China).

After receiving the Arjuna Award in 2001, Ramesh won the National crown in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 since entering the 74-kg class.

Ramesh had qualified for the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Four years later, an injury resulted in his failure to make the field for the next edition in Beijing.

“Back injury and some biased refereeing cost me a place in the Beijing Olympics,” said Ramesh and continued, “I want to win the Commonwealth Games gold at home.”

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