Sushil Kumar gets nostalgic on 8th anniversary of winning Olympic silver medal in London

Indian wrestler Sushil Kumar made history when he won the bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, becoming the second wrestler to win an Olympic medal after Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav's bronze medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics. Commonwealth Games triumph soon followed the Sushil Kumar Olympic medal but a snuggling injury meant that his Olympics dreams for London seemed beyond reach. However, the Indian grappler defied all odds and participated in the event winning a silver medal, becoming the only Indian (since independence) to win two individual Olympic medals.

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Sushil Kumar Olympic medal: OTD in 2012, Indian grappler bags Silver medal in London Olympics 

On August 12, 2008, Indian wrestler Sushil Kumar etched his name in record books after winning the silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics. Kumar had already established himself as the premier 66kg freestyle wrestler in the country but was six kilos overweight and he had just 10 days to cut it down before the London Games weigh-in was scheduled. The grappler pushed his body to the limit and starved himself and wore heavy clothes while doing cardio exercises.

Sushil Kumar threw up the electrolytes he had been given by the team doctor, got muscle cramps and experienced spasms all over his body a day ahead of his first bout. His opponent was Beijing 2008 gold medallist Ramazan Sahin of Turkey and the three-man Indian wrestlers’ contingent and long-time coach Yashvir Singh took turns to massage him and keep him hydrated.

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An exhausted Sushil Kumar progressed to the next round despite just three hours of sleep and collapsed in the changing room due to exhaustion. The 2008 Beijing bronze medallist then went past Uzbekistan’s Ikhtiyor Navruzov with a little more comfort in the quarter-final and Sushil Kumar was visibly back to his best in the semi-final. Sushil Kumar was at his finest as he defeated Akzhurekh Tanatarov of Kazakhstan, making him the first Indian to win two individual Olympic medals. 

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However, hurdles weren't done with the Indian grappler as of yet, as Sushil Kumar contracted a stomach bug and had to rush to the washroom six times ahead of his final against Japan's military man Tatuhiro Yonemitsu. Yonemitsu did not allow the Indian grappler to win a single round and Sushil Kumar settled for a silver. The Sushil Kumar Olympic medal was India’s sixth medal at the London Games. This has been India’s best haul ever at the Summer Olympics.

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Sushil Kumar Olympic medal: Sushil Kumar net worth and salary

Much of the Sushil Kumar net worth comes from his career as a professional wrestler and his achievements in the ring. According to reports, Sushil Kumar bagged ₹61.5 crore after his triumphs in the 2008 and the 2012 Olympics. He was also awarded a land area in Sonipat for his own wrestling academy by the Haryana Government after his silver medal in London. Kumar also earned $140,000 (₹1 crore) annually for years while endorsing the likes of Mountain Dew, Eicher tractors and National Egg Coordination Committee post that win. Currently, Kumar's salary from the Wrestling Federation of India stands at ₹20 lakh per annum.

(Image Credit: Sushil Kumar Instagram)