Double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, may not be part of India’s 16-member squad for the World Championships in las Vegas but he is all set to accompany them for a training stint in the US ahead of the tournament which will be the first qualifying event for the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
“They (Wrestling Federation of India) have told me to travel with the squad to las Vegas. It’s always better if you get to train with your squad, so I will be going with them. I will also get an opportunity to see how others (competitors) are performing. Then whichever tournament comes my the way, I would probably take part in those as well,” Sushil told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of the Pro Wrestling league (PWl) here.
“Moreover, I will be helping out our youngsters during training as well as during the matches.
The 32-year-old said his injury has almost healed and he has been training for the past two weeks.
After more than a year-long long sabbatical, Sushil would finally be seen in action at the Pro Wrestling league (PWl), slated to be held in India between November 8 and 29.
Sushil agreed that the professional league would be high on glamour and financial quotient, but added he would look to utilise it only as a platform to prepare for the Rio Olympics.
“The fact that some of the top wrestlers of the world are expected to be part of the PWl, it will provide a good exposure ahead of the Rio Games. Competing against some of the best in the world would only be beneficial,” insisted Sushil.
The 66kg freestyle wrestler also said that it would be an excellent platform for the junior and upcoming grapplers to rub shoulders with the cream of the wrestling world.
“We always look for more and more exposure and go to foreign countries for that. We will be getting it here sitting in our own country, what can be better than thatIJ,” he asked.