Winning the gold medal courtesy of three walkovers it’s something unthinkable but it actually happened when Sushil Kumar making his return to the mat after three years was declared the winner in the 74kg category in the National Wrestling Championship in Indore after three wrestlers, including the finalist gave him walkovers.
Sushil was national champions just like that, he might have had his medal but a champion wrestler like him would have rather done it the hard way than in such farce manner. It was his chance to prove his relevance in modern wrestling but the three wrestlers who conceded matches to him as a tribute to his status denied him a chance to stake his claim in the manner he truly deserved.
Sushil battled for just 2 minutes and 33 seconds in total on the mat as he fought only two of his initial round bouts before three of his opponents.
This unopposed path has left a bad taste in the mouth for many including Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar. The Bollywood superstar tweeted:
Where do you stand in this debate? Should Sushil Kumar accept the medal which he won without breaking any sweat? Or do you believe there is little he can do when opponents pull out?