Indian wrestlers fight over a meaty dilemma

For eight years Anuj Chaudhary had been vowing to do it but had failed to muster up the courage. Turning non-vegetarian that is. But earlier...

For eight years Anuj Chaudhary had been vowing to do it but had failed to muster up the courage. Turning non-vegetarian that is. But earlier this week, at lunch after a practice session at the National Institute of Sports, Patiala, the 24-year-old 8212; one of India8217;s six freestyle wrestlers to qualify for the Athens Olympics 8212; just shut his eyes, held his breath, and gulped the piece of chicken lying in front of him.

8216;8216;It was really difficult. Since 1996, during every foreign tour, I used to tell myself that I would turn non-vegetarian. But somehow, I could never gather the courage to do it. This time, I knew I had to do it. I am 24, it8217;s my first, and probably last, chance at the Olympics. I called up home and they could not believe it. But I will turn vegetarian again once I retire,8217;8217; Chaudhary tries to convince.

He is not the only one to take this major decision in recent times. Four of the six grapplers have decided to add meat to their diets. Why? Two reasons really. Firstly, our men always struggle to find Indian food when they travel abroad. And secondly, more importantly actually, is what Haryana8217;s Sujeet Mann 8212; Commonwealth gold medalist 8212; confirms: a bit of meat adds the required muscle power to encounter the heavily-built wrestlers from Central Asian countries, especially Russia.

8216;8216;Every time we lost in an international event, critics used to say that we 8212; shakahari vegetarian wrestlers are no match for the powerful, 8216;beefy8217; wrestlers from other countries. That will go now,8217;8217; says Mann, who along with Palwinder Singh Cheema 8212; India8217;s best bet in 120kg weight category, and Ramesh Kumar 66kg, completes the non-vegetarian club in the Indian wrestling camp.

The remaining two 8212; Delhi8217;s Sushil Kumar and Haryana8217;s Yogeshwar Dutt 8212; have, however, stuck to their vegetarian habits.

8216;8216;I am a Brahmin, I can8217;t take it meat. We take loads of bread from home whenever we go abroad. One can always have it with juice. And, moreover, potatoes are found the world over. So, we won8217;t starve,8217;8217; says Sonepat8217;s 21-year-old Dutt.

8216;8216;Our dal-roti is more powerful than their meat and we will prove this at Athens,8217;8217; adds Sushil with a smirk, who is also happy that the Wrestling Federation of India has promised to make vegetarian food available during the Indian team8217;s preparation camp at Sofia next month.

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The only problem though 8212; to add to Mann8217;s example 8212; is that the wrestlers might have a bit of explaining to do now if they come a cropper against the Russians.