Sushil Kumar Biography, Life, Interesting Facts

Sushil Kumar was born on May 26, 1983. He is an Indian freestyle wrestler. He became the first Indian to win two consecutive individual Olympic Medals. His inspiration to take up wrestling came from his father and his cousin. He has a supportive family that supports him in everything that he does. Kumar endorses a lot of products, unlike other wrestlers. He is a role model to many youths who want to become wrestlers.

Early Life

Sushil Kumar was born on May 26, 1983, in Baprola village in the outskirts of New Delhi. He was born to Diwan Singh and Kamla Devi. His father was a wrestling enthusiast in his own right. His cousin Sandeep was a wrestler, and he was inspired by him to take up wrestling as a career. He was also inspired by his father who wanted the best for him. At 14, He started training as a wrestler at the wrestling academy in Chhatrasal Stadium in New Delhi.

Sushil Kumar was trained with trainers such as Satpal. He started competing in the junior levels. In 1998, he won his first gold medal at the World Cadet Games. In 2000, he won a gold medal at the Asian Junior Wrestling Championship. He was noted as one of the emerging wrestlers in India.

Career

In 2003, Sushil Kumar participated in the Asian Wrestling Championship which was held in New Delhi. He won the bronze medal in the 60kg freestyle category. He won a gold medal the same year in the freestyle category at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship in London. In 2004, he was part of the Indian Wrestling contingent at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He finished at position 14 in the 60kg freestyle category. In 2005, he participated in the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship held in Cape Town. He won the gold medal in the 66kg freestyle category. He also won the bronze medal in the 66kg Greco-Roman category. The following year at the 2006 Doha Asian Games he won the bronze medal in the 66kg freestyle category.

In the 2007 Commonwealth Wrestling Championship, London, Sushil Kumar won the gold medal in the 66kg freestyle category. The following year at the Beijing Olympics he won the bronze medal. In the 2010 World Wrestling Championships, Moscow, he became the first Indian to win a world title in wrestling. He also won a gold medal in the 66kg freestyle category in the Commonwealth Games, Delhi. He became the first Indian to win back to back individual Olympic medals when he won the silver medal in 66kg freestyle category at the London Olympics in 2012. Two years later, he won the gold medal in the 74kg freestyle category at the Commonwealth Games, Scotland.

Awards And Achievements

In 2005, Sushil Kumar received the Arjuna Award. Three years later, he received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award. In 2011, he was awarded the Padma Shri Award.

Personal Life

In 2011, Sushil Kumar married Savi Solanki, the daughter of wrestler guru Satpal. The couple has twin boys.