Athletes who won at the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow shared their stories of struggle and achievements with Darpan Mago
Muscular physique, focussed facial expressions and relaxed demeanor are some of the peculiar traits of a sportsperson. But Pawan Kumar, a wrestler, had other unique marks. His outer ears were completely disfigured and swollen. “Ears are a sensitive organ of the body and while we wrestle, the opponent fights us with all force and sometimes the ears have to bear the blows,” said Kumar
Kumar, who had won a bronze in wrestling (86 Kg category) in recent Commonwealth Games at Glasgow, hails from a small village in Haryana and his father works as a farmer. The man takes pride in injury marks on his body. “In a bout, the opponent can target any body part with his full force. The injury marks on my ears can be corrected through surgical procedures but I am a wrestler and this is a part of my game. There is no point in getting them corrected as this will happen again. Moreover, these marks are pehelwan ki pehchan in our village. My looks make me stand out of the rest,” he said.
Kumar, 21, was never into academics. He said, “I was never interested in academics and began wrestling at the age of ten. My aunt with whom I stayed had a dream that one day I will become a big wrestler and now I am nearing to that dream. Though I belong to Haryana but I have been living with my aunt since beginning. There is a wrestling center in the vicinity of my aunt’s house and this was where I started out. My aunt is like a mother to me and I call her badi maa. Her sons Rajesh and Rakesh, have been more than a real brothers and stood beside me through thick and thin.” Kumar isn’t satisfied with the Bronze, he shared, “I had targeted Gold but now I’ll have to make myself happy with what I’ve got. I’m happy for the fact that I defeated an ace player of Pakistan who had won a Gold medal earlier in 2006.”
Kumar is part of seven wrestlers and one judo athlete, who are mentored by JSW Sports Excellence Programme, aiming to develop a rich talent pool across sporting disciplines in the country. Sushila is a judo athlete who participated in the senior category for the first time and bagged a silver medal. She said, “I learnt that judo isn’t merely played with power but with mind. Whatever you do you simply have to be devoted to it.”
Sushila’s uncle (father’s younger brother) is part of Border Security Force’s (BSF) judo team. Sushila has a humble background and comes from a place where academics are given importance over sports. Her uncle was the one who began training her and recognised her potential of reaching international sporting events. He said, “We don’t have a sports background and I was the only sportsperson in the family who began as an athlete. Sushila has faced her share of questions from the society and despite all odds, she has stood out. We belong to a middle class family in Manipur, the extreme corner of India. Here, aspirants usually don’t get enough support from the associations and pump their own money to reach such levels. Sushila has set an example for others to follow.”
Navjot Kaur is a big fan of Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt. She always wanted to achieve fame. Navjot, who has now bagged a bronze in the 69 kg category, said, “I went for the first time and it was an enriching experience. I always wanted people to know me and take my autographs. I wasn’t like other girls, while at school, I was different. In Indian homes parents always harp about girls taking up homely affairs but mine talked of practicing in the sport, taking care of my diet and then having a good rest. My school friends are now married and have children. It is good to hear when they call me and say that they also want to live life I am living right now.”
Athletes like Amit Kumar, Vinesh Phogat, Babita Kumari, Bajrang and Sakshi Kumar are also a part of this programme.