Unprecedented! A rustic and rural game like wrestling being greeted to such a thunderous applause, with thousands of spectators cheering for their grapplers on top of their voices, is unheard of in a country where cricket is a religion.
But then came Sushil Kumar, a humility personified, who not only instilled life into the game by winning the bronze in the Beijing Olympics but also kept the sport into persistent limelight by winning different events, including the gold in World Championships just prior to the Commonwealth Games.
And finally, he kept his World No 1 tag intact when he defeated Heinrich Barnes of South Africa in the men’s 66kg freestyle category here at Indira Gandhi Sports Complex to clinch the Commonwealth Games gold.
So it wasn’t much of a surprise when sportspersons cutting across all countries voted the Nafagarh grappler the most popular athlete of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in a poll run by the Village News.
However, it just wasn’t his game that brought him this distinction from the fellow athletes, but it was also to do with the manner he has conducted himself throughout his stay at the Village. His stature as a wrestler is unquestioned while his behaviour as a soft-spoken athlete is a thing to be revered.
“He is a great wrestler and a fantastic guy. Even after achieving so much, he is keeping himself so grounded. See he is obliging one and all for the autographs and photos. We have never seen a frown on his face. He is getting the kind of attention which is reserved only for cricket stars of our country but success hasn’t gone his head. That’s the best part of him,” said most of the Indian contingent on India’s new poster boy.
And mind you, the athletes from other countries too voted for our champion in large numbers.
“He is the world champion and still is so modest. I like his style and his way of wrestling. The man is such a hard worker and I hope God will take him places,” said Gene Kapaufs an Australian wrestler.
Agrees Muhammad Inam, the gold medalist from Pakistan. “He is such a great wrestler. He is an inspiring figure and the best thing about him is his modesty. He is always ready with his smiles. He was so happy the day when I won the gold, even though I defeated an Indian. He was happy for me. He also talks to us about wrestling and we learn a lot from him,” said the wrestler from Pakistan.
Though there wasn’t much competition for our ace grappler, there were others as well who got the votes of the fellow athletes. Cyprus shooter Georgios Achilleos was mustered a lot of support from his fellow compatriots at the shooting ranges. “We will vote for Georgios Achilleos, the champion shooter from Cyprus. We like the way he focuses on the shooting ranges. He is a fighter and a gentleman,” said Clive Farrugia and Nathan Lee Xlurob, shooters from Malta.
For someone like Ali Jawad nobody came close to Danielle Brown, the ace archer from England. “She is the best archer in the world and more than anything else, she is also my girlfriend so don’t you think she should be my favourite,” said Ali of England.
The likes of Sania Mirza, Rajpal Singh and Vijender Singh also received a number of votes from all quarters. For Gabrella Duclos of Canada Sania should have been voted the most popular athlete as she is so fabulous on and off the field. “She looks so attractive on the court while playing. She is also winning so we have to like her,” Gabrella said.
Courtesy: Village News
By Rakesh Jha/Rohit Sakunia
