145;My routine is still the same146;

Sushil Kumar and his medal aspirations never quite figured in all the half-hopeful, half-cynical talks before India began their Beijing Olympics campaign...

Sushil Kumar and his medal aspirations never quite figured in all the half-hopeful, half-cynical talks before India began their Beijing Olympics campaign, but quiet confidence appears to be more this wrestler8217;s style. His family in Najafgarh and his pals in the Delhi akhada abandoned their daily routines for an endless stream of celebrations as soon as the television flashed scenes of the Indian bronze, but unlike the rest of the nation, surprise was not part of their emotions.

The hours of practice and his guru Satpal8217;s strict regimen may not have been noticed by the rest of India, but those close to him were never in doubt. Fame may be a part of his life now, but the man himself has not lost his focus 8212; which doesn8217;t stop at just one Olympic medal. At the end of a year which showed his guts on sport8217;s biggest stage and got him the glory he deserved, the 25-year-old is still to be found discussing the sport with his coaches at his akhada every day. He speaks to The Indian Express about the year gone by and his life since Beijing.

8226;The year has almost come to an end. Looking back, what has it been like?

8226; It8217;s been very good. Not just for me, but for the whole country. We had a good Olympics in Beijing, we got three medals, and of course to figure among them makes me feel very proud. The best part is knowing all the effort paid off.

8226;Before the Games, wrestling wasn8217;t among the talking points. How did that make you feel?

8226; Others may not have expected us to do it, but my coaches and trainers knew we would come back with a medal. We had been putting in a lot of hard work for such a long time, we were confident. From the time I qualified for the Games, which was last year, we were all working towards one goal.

8226;What thoughts went through your mind after you lost the first bout and had to go for the repechage?

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8226; I knew it was now or never. I had lost my first chance, and I had no choice but to go for it. I just had to do well. I didn8217;t do much at my first Olympics, in 2004, and I wasn8217;t about to let the chance go this time around.

8226;There was a lot of curiosity about you after the win, as you weren8217;t as well-known as other competitors. How has life changed since Beijing?

8226; Now everybody seems to know me wherever I go, and they even come and ask for autographs. They recognise me and say, 8216;Oh, he won an Olympic medal.8217; It8217;s a nice feeling, and a completely new one for me. Another good thing which is happening is that more and more children have started joining our akhada because they also want to become wrestlers. The sport has always been popular where I come from, but now so many more want to learn.

But while wrestling got a lot of publicity during and immediately after the Olympics, there were still many unaware of the national championship which recently took place in Ayodhya. The interest is increasing, but slowly.

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8226;Your schedule at Satpal8217;s akhada is tight, does it get tough to stick to it?

8226; When I started out, it definitely was difficult, but with time it8217;s become simpler. You begin to understand that it will harm no one but you the most if you don8217;t follow the rules. Whatever schedule is given to us, that8217;s what we follow. In wrestling, such discipline is very important. And it8217;s all been worth it, it8217;s there for everybody to see.

8226;Do the newcomers want to learn special skills from you?

8226; Laughs Some do ask me for tips, but I8217;m still learning too. But it8217;s a good thing the sport is becoming more popular. I haven8217;t thought about whether I8217;ll move into coaching, right now I8217;m concentrating on my own game.

8226;Has fame changed your routine?

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8226; My routine is still the same. I don8217;t want to stop just because I8217;ve won a medal, I have to take part in the next Olympics too. We keep studying the new techniques that are being used and work on them constantly. And I realise I have done very well, but all my achievements come with a sense of responsibility. There is a lot more to do.