Yogeshwar, Sushil and the unique mentoring system of Indian wrestling

Incheon: These two Indian wrestlers are informally following the age-old Hindu tradition of teacher and disciple even as they contribute to India’s growing stature in the sport. Yogeshwar Dutt and Bajrang Kumar always eat, live and spar together at national camps and competitions, much like the ‘ashrams’ that generally require worldly ties be cut off as the disciple soaks in knowledge. Dutt, who won India’s first Asian Games gold medal in 28 years when he collected the 65-kilogram freestyle title at Incheon, is both an example and a teacher to Bajrang, who won silver in the 61-kilogram freestyle division. Their achievements mean a lot in a country of 1.2 billion, where top-level international medals have been sparse. The 31-year-old Dutt has previously won an Olympic medal — a bronze at London — while two-time Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar remains the biggest name in the sport from India. [caption id=“attachment_1740131” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of Yogeshwar Dutt. AP[/caption] “I feel my job is not just to win medals for India but to ensure the successes are carried on,” said Dutt, who defeated Zalim Khan Yusupov of Tajikistan 1-0 in the final. “I try to teach Bajrang every possible nuance of wrestling and virtually each part of his day is monitored by me.” Dutt said there were wild celebrations in his village in the northern state of Haryana after his Incheon gold, and he expected that could have a flow-on for the sport. “My mother told me on the phone that there was a festive atmosphere as our relatives and friends got together. It seems it was akin to celebrating both our festivals of Holi and Diwali together,” he said. “It went on and on. I hope it will also mean more youngsters taking up wrestling seriously.” Dutt’s heart is set on competing at the Rio Olympics in 2016, even as he keeps a close eye on how the younger wrestlers are practicing at the Dowon Gymnasium. “I’m aiming for gold at next year’s World Championship in Las Vegas to qualify for the Olympics,” Dutt said. “Bajrang and other Indian wrestlers, too, have similar ambitions and that is a new trend among our wrestlers.” Dutt, a police officer in Haryana state, says India’s recent successes have bred confidence in the ranks of young wrestlers and a yearning to perform at the top level. Previously, “We did not have Olympic medal winners to look up to but the scenario has changed now. We’re mentoring younger wrestlers to think big, plan to win Olympic medals,” he said. “The whole outlook has changed.” Indian wrestlers in the past were generally content winning medals at the Asian championships and Commonwealth meets but Dutt and Sushil Kumar have redefined objectives for the likes of 20-year-old Bajrang Kumar. “I’ve been improving with each competition and Dutt’s contribution is immense,” Bajrang said of his five years under Dutt’s tutelage." He is an inspiration, elder brother and Guru (teacher) all rolled into one. I virtually do everything according to what he says, including the way I practice and what I eat." Coach Vinod Kumar says Indian wrestling is looking up because of the way Dutt and Sushil inspire and guide others. There has also been better planning of their schedules with adequate funding from the government. “The training for Indian wrestlers has become more scientific,” Vinod said. “Training and competition at Colarado Springs and Belarus over the past few years have ensured that they get the best possible preparation through the year.” Vinod says wrestlers have become selective and are choosing their competitions carefully in order peak at big meets. “Sushil gave a miss to this year’s World Championship as well as the Asian Games as he aims for gold at Rio after winning bronze and silver in previous Olympic Games,” Vinod said. “Similarly, Dutt missed the Worlds this year to concentrate on the Asian Games. This is something we did not see in the past and I’m sure it will mean more success in the coming years.” AP