Free of the controversy surrounding his ‘‘disappearence’’ and with a ticket to Athens on the way, Mukesh Khatri is finally able to focus on sporting matters. Specifically, on the fourth round of the Greco-Roman event to ensure he gets a medal.A trifle ambitious, surely? ‘‘Why not, it’s a matter of just three rounds. Enter the fourth one, you’re already on the podium!’’But he does add this note of caution: ‘‘If I happen to have three top-notch wrestlers in the group of four, it could be anybody’s game because everyone will be very cautious with each bout.’’Plainly, Mukesh (23) is not your typical wrestler. And not just because he doesn’t have the imposing bulk or the large hands of the typical matman (his cauliflower ears the only clue to his sport), but because of his outlook and attitude — and his choice of wrestling style.He was sent to Colorado Springs in June this year along with coach Rampal Thakran under the sports ministry’s Olympics training programme, a stint he believes was beneficial. ‘‘It will stand me in good stead and I could be surprising everybody’’, he told The Indian Express.What did he learn from the trip? ‘‘Several things, particularly the excellent work schedule with an advanced technology monitoring system. I didn’t realise how important clenches were in Greco-Roman until I was trained in them by the Russian and Yugoslavian coaches working with the US team,’’ he said.At Colorado Springs, he trained with 17 of those US wrestlers who have made it to Athens and, in a competition during the two months there, was adjudged the best Greco-Roman matman. His work schedule included weight training — totally in contrast to what our wrestlers do here — in a scientific manner supported by an excellent diet.The high-altitude training also meant that his body’s fresh red cell count has shot up considerably, giving him the necessary strength for the Athens event.‘‘Technique apart, he has picked up a sense of timing for the throws,’’ said Thakran. Unlike in freestyle, in Greco-Roman the attack has to be above waist and here the wrestler has to employ both technique and sense of timing.Talking of the training methods, the coach was very impressed with the way the US wrestlers trained. ‘‘All the 17 US qualifiers were at the centre, each with a sparring partner. Everything was new to me. The best of facilities backed with psychologists and doctors on the mat-side. Even the mats were of excellent quality. Unlike those in India, they were so spongy and they took care to spreading more crushing material on them so that no one suffered an injury,’’ says the coach.How important is that? ‘‘In two months training, Mukesh has not suffered even a slight scrach or anything’’, Thakran said.The body is fit, the mind is positive. The battle is half won.
