Sushil Kumar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sushil Kumar

Kumar in 2014
Personal information
Nationality	Indian
Born	(1983-05-26) 26 May 1983 (age 42) Delhi, India
Height	166 cm
Weight	66 kg
Sport
Country	India
Sport	Wrestling
Event(s)	Freestyle
Club	NIS, Delhi
Coached by	Satpal Singh
Medal record Men's freestyle wrestling Representing  India Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games - 1 1 World Championships 1 - - Asian Games - - 1 Commonwealth Games 3 - - Asian Championships 1 1 2 Commonwealth Championship 5 - 1 Olympic Games Silver 2012 London 66 kg Bronze 2008 Beijing 66 kg World Championships Gold 2010 Moscow 66 kg Commonwealth Games Gold 2010 Delhi 66 kg Gold 2014 Glasgow 74 kg Gold 2018 Gold Coast 74 kg Asian Games Bronze 2006 Doha 66 Kg Asian Championships Gold 2010 New Delhi 66 kg Silver 2007 Bishkek 66 kg Bronze 2003 New Delhi 60 kg Bronze 2008 Jeju Island 66 kg Commonwealth Championship Gold 2003 London 60 kg Gold 2005 Cape Town 66 kg Gold 2007 London 66 kg Gold 2009 Jalandhar 66 kg Gold 2017 Johannesburg 74 kg
Updated on 26 February 2018.

Sushil Kumar (born 26 May 1983) is a famous former Indian wrestler. He is known for winning two Olympic medals for his country. His first Olympic medal in 2008 was a big moment for India. It was only the second wrestling medal for India in the Olympics. The first was won by Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav in 1952.

In 2009, Sushil Kumar received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award. This is India's highest honor for athletes. He also had the special job of carrying the Queen's Baton for the 2010 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony. He even carried the Indian flag at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. Sushil won gold medals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He is also the first and only Indian wrestler to win a gold medal at the World Wrestling Championships.

Sushil Kumar's Wrestling Journey

Sushil Kumar at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Sushil Kumar started his wrestling training very young. He was just 14 years old when he began learning pehlwani (a traditional Indian wrestling style). He trained at the Chhatrasal Stadium's akhada (wrestling school). His coaches included Yashvir, Ramphal, and later Arjuna Award winner Satpal. He also trained at the Indian Railways camp.

Sushil later switched to freestyle wrestling. His first big win was a gold medal at the World Cadet Games in 1998. He then won another gold at the Asian Junior Wrestling Championship in 2000.

Early Career Success

In 2003, Sushil won a bronze medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships. He also earned a gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships. He finished fourth at the 2003 World Wrestling Championships. However, his performance at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens was not as good, where he placed 14th.

He continued to win gold medals at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in 2005 and 2007. In 2007, he placed seventh at the 2007 World Wrestling Championships.

Olympic Medal Wins

Sushil Kumar won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. This was a huge achievement for him and for India. He then won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. This made him the first Indian to win two Olympic medals after India's independence.

For his amazing achievements, Sushil Kumar received the Arjuna Award in 2006. He was also honored with the prestigious Padma Shree award by the Indian Government in 2011.

2008 Beijing Olympics Bronze

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Sushil Kumar lost his first match. However, he got another chance through a special round called the repechage. He won two tough matches against Doug Schwab and Albert Batyrov. In the bronze medal match, he beat Leonid Spiridonov 3:1. Sushil shared that he had no special helper during these quick matches. His team manager, Kartar Singh, helped him out.

2010 World Championships Gold

At the 2010 World Wrestling Championships in Moscow, Sushil Kumar made history. He became the first Indian wrestler to win a world title. He won the gold medal in the 66 kg category. He beat the Russian wrestler Alan Gogaev 3-1 in the final match.

2010 Commonwealth Games Gold

Sushil Kumar won another gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. He defeated Heinrich Barnes 7-0 in the 66 kg freestyle wrestling final. The referee stopped the match in the second round because Sushil was so dominant. Earlier, he had won his semifinal match in just 9 seconds!

2012 London Olympics Silver

Sushil Kumar (left) at the 2012 Olympics

Sushil Kumar won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics. He lost the final match to Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu. Before the final, he had a tough semifinal match against Akzhurek Tanatarov from Kazakhstan. Sushil was also the flag bearer for India at the opening ceremony.

2014 Commonwealth Games Gold

At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, Sushil Kumar won another gold medal. He competed in the 74 kg category. He defeated Qamar Abbas in the final match in just 107 seconds. He won by a "fall," which means he pinned his opponent's shoulders to the mat.

2018 Commonwealth Games Gold

Sushil Kumar continued his winning streak at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia. On April 12, 2018, he won gold in the 74 kg category. He beat Johannes Botha from South Africa in a final that lasted only 80 seconds. This amazing win meant he had won three gold medals in three Commonwealth Games in a row!

Sushil Kumar's Life

Sushil Kumar was born in a Jat family in Baprola village, near Najafgarh in South West Delhi. His father, Diwan Singh, worked as a driver. His mother, Kamla Devi, was a housewife.

Sushil was inspired to become a wrestler by his father, who was also a wrestler, and his cousin Sandeep Solanki. His family worked hard to support his wrestling career. Even when funds were low, they made sure he had good food like milk, ghee, and fresh vegetables. Sushil is a devoted Hindu and a strict vegetarian.

He studied at the Noida College of Physical Education. Sushil Kumar works for the Indian Railways as an assistant commercial manager.

Endorsements and Media Appearances

Sushil Kumar has endorsed several well-known brands. These include Mountain Dew, Eicher tractors, and the National Egg Coordination Committee. He earns a good amount of money from these endorsements. He even turned down an offer to appear in an ad for a liquor brand.

He appeared in an Indian documentary film called Carve Your Destiny. Sushil Kumar also served as a judge on the reality TV show MTV Roadies. He has also been a guest on popular comedy shows like The Kapil Sharma Show and Comedy Nights with Kapil.

Awards and Recognition

Sushil Kumar has received many awards and honors for his wrestling achievements:

• Arjuna Award, 2005
• Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award (joint), India's highest sporting honor.
• Padma Shri, 2011

Rewards for Olympic Medals

For his bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he received:

• 5.5 million Indian Rupees (INR) cash award and a promotion from the Railway Ministry.
• 5 million INR cash award from the Government of Delhi.
• 2.5 million INR award from the Haryana Government.
• 2.5 million INR cash award from the Ministry of Steel.
• 500,000 INR cash award from R K Global.
• The rank of DSP in the Haryana Police.
• 1 million INR cash award from the Government of Maharashtra.
• 1 million INR cash award from MTNL.

For his gold medal at the 2010 World Wrestling Championships, he received:

• 1 million INR cash award from Indian Railways and a promotion.
• 1 million INR cash award from Sports Authority of India.
• 1 million INR cash award from the Government of Delhi.

For his silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics, he received:

• 20 million INR cash reward from the Delhi Government.
• 15 million INR cash reward from the Haryana Government.
• 7.5 million INR cash reward from the Indian Railways.
• Land in Sonipat for a Wrestling academy from the Haryana Government.
• 1 million INR cash award from ONGC.

Images for kids

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  Sushil Kumar (left) at the 2012 Olympics