CWG Wrestling: A reputation to live up to

India has been a strong contender in Commonwealth Games wrestling. And in the Gold Coast Games, top names like Sushil Kumar, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat are expected to keep the national flag flying.

Spearheading India’s challenge: Olympic medal winners, Sushil Kumar (above) and Sakshi Malik, are among the favourites in the 74kg and 62kg divisions.

Mukhtiar Singh (1966, 1970), Sudesh Kumar (1970, 1974), Rajinder Singh (1978, 1982), Sushil Kumar (2010, 2014) and Yogeshwar Dutt (2010, 2014) are the most successful Indian wrestlers in the Commonwealth Games with two gold medals each. In the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, competitions will be held in six weight categories each for men and women in freestyle. For men, the bouts will be in the 57 kg, 65 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 97 kg and 125 kg categories, while the women will grapple for medals in the 50 kg, 53 kg, 57 kg, 62 kg, 68 kg and 76 kg divisions.

India's Sushil Kumar reacts during his fight against Japan's Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu in their Men's 66kg Freestyle gold medal match on August 12, 2012 during the wrestling event of the London 2012 Olympic Games. AFP PHOTO / MARWAN NAAMANI

 

India has been a strong contender in Commonwealth Games wrestling. Two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar (74 kg) and World championship medallist Bajrang Punia (65 kg) among men, and Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik (62 kg), Commonwealth Games champions Vinesh Phogat (50 kg) and Babita Kumari (54 kg), and promising Pooja Dhanda (57 kg) and Divya Kakran (68 kg) are expected to help India maintain its reputation in wrestling.

Canada, Nigeria and host Australia may pose some challenge to India.

• 1958 Cardiff: 1 gold (heavyweight), 1 silver (welterweight).
• 1966 Kingston: 3 gold (bantamweight, lightweight, heavyweight), 2 silver (flyweight, featherweight) and 2 bronze (welterweight, light heavyweight).
• 1970 Edinburgh: 5 gold (light flyweight, flyweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight), 3 silver (light heavyweight, heavyweight, super heavyweight) and 1 bronze (featherweight).
• 1974 Christchurch: 4 gold (flyweight, bantamweight, lightweight, welterweight), 5 silver (featherweight, middleweight, light heavyweight, heavyweight, super heavyweight) and 1 bronze (light flyweight).
• 1978 Edmonton: 3 gold (light flyweight, bantamweight, welterweight), 3 silver (flyweight, featherweight, heavyweight) and 3 bronze (lightweight, light heavyweight, super heavyweight).
• 1982 Brisbane: 4 gold (light flyweight, flyweight, lightweight, welterweight), 4 silver (bantamweight, light heavyweight, heavyweight, super heavyweight) and 1 bronze (middleweight).
• 1994 Victoria: 2 silver (bantamweight, middleweight), 3 bronze (light flyweight, flyweight, heavyweight).
• 2002 Manchester: 3 gold (55 kg, 66 kg, 120 kg), 3 silver (60 kg, 84 kg, 96 kg).
• 2010 Delhi: Men’s freestyle: 3 gold (60 kg, 66 kg, 74 kg); 2 silver (84 kg, 120 kg) and 1 bronze (55 kg); Greco Roman: 4 gold (55 kg, 60 kg, 74 kg, 96 kg), 1 silver (84 kg); 2 bronze (66 kg, 120 kg).
• Women: 3 gold (55 kg, 59 kg, 67 kg), 2 silver (48 kg, 51 kg) and 1 bronze (63 kg).
• 2014 Glasgow: Men’s freestyle: 3 gold (57 kg, 65 kg, 74 kg), 3 silver (61 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg) and 1 bronze (86 kg).