Grappler Santosh climbing success ladder steadily

Like the other Indians,who dominated on the mat to return with a record haul of 17 medals out of the 24 on offer,Santosh,too,bamboozled his opponent,Daulet Daribev of Kazakhstan,6-0 ,to win the bronze.

“Though Indian wrestlers used to win medals in the Asian junior championship,the number was less. This time it was different as we returned with 17 medals. It feels nice to represent your country and also win a medal. I will cherish this moment,” Santosh,who competed in the 50 kg category in Greco Roman,shared.

Prior to the tournament,when the world wrestling body (FILA) introduced changes in the point system under new rules,in which bouts were made two-period affair of three minutes each,replacing best of three periods,for cumulative scores to decide the winner,there were doubts whether Santosh and Co would stand up to the challenge.

The answer was there for everyone to see.

“We had been working hard for the event and moreover our coaches made extra effort to help us correct our techniques. It is because of them that we all were in good shape before going for the championship,” said the grappler.

Santosh,20,is not new to international tournaments. In fact,in his first international tournament- Commonwealth Youth Wrestling Championship held in Singapore three years ago- Santosh returned with gold.

His repertoire has grown over the years and now he finds his name mentioned in the same list of the bright future prospects for India. His performance in 2013 has been impressive: gold in All India Inter University Wrestling Championship,his first-ever gold in junior nationals and now the bronze in Asian junior championship. “It has been a good year. All my hardwork is paying off,” said Santosh,a BA-I student of Government College in Mohali.

Growing stature

BORN into a family of pehelwans in Uttar Pradesh,wrestling came naturally to him. His grandfather,and later his father,carried forward the tradition of wrestling in the family. While his father,Daya Shankar Yadav,a known name in the wrestling fraternity in his village,never made it big on the big stage,it was his grandfather who saw spark in the young Santosh and did everything he could to see him reach for the top. His father,meanwhile,divided time between working on the field and then teaching Santosh the basics of the game.

“It is my grandfather who takes care of my expenses. My father’s meager income is not enough to sustain the family and also take care of the expenses of my other two brothers. So,I took it upon myself to help the family through the troubled times,” shared Santosh,who took to wrestling at the age of ten.

After a few years of training in Uttar Pradesh,he moved to Gulzar Akhara at the insistence of his coach who predicted a bright future for him.

He was 15 when he first came to the Gulzar Akhara and began to realise his potential under RS Kundu,the SAI coach. He started off with his dominant performances in the state-level tournaments. But it wasn’t until 2010 when he consistently won medals. A bronze in junior nationals,National School Games and AIU opened the floodgates for him. More medals followed but it was in 2012 when he won first gold in AIU,which he went on to defend the next year.

“Santosh has shown great improvement in the recent times. He never shies from hardwork and it is his dedication that impresses me the most. He is a future prospect for India and I am sure he will do well for the country,” said Kundu.

The coming days could usher a new chapter in Santosh’s life. His eyes are focused on the upcoming World Junior Championship to be held in Sofia,Bulgaria,in August later this year. It all depends how he fares in the trials,to be held in the month of July.

“There is still some time for the trials and before that I will spend some time with Kundu sir and work on my weakness. Moreover,I am yearning to make my debut at the senior level also,” signed-off the grappler.