I will do anything to win in 2012

Ramesh Kumar had been preparing for the world championships for more than a year now....

Ramesh Kumar had been preparing for the world championships for more than a year now. Ever since he saw Sushil Kumar get on the podium at the Beijing Olympics,to be precise.

The fact that I could not participate in the 2008 Olympics still hurts me a lot. I had worked really hard for it. But injuries cant be predicted or avoided for a sportsman. When I saw Sushil win bronze,I was genuinely happy but I was also sad that I was not there. I had decided right then that I would make up for it at the world championships, he said after returning from Denmark.

He kept his promise to himself by winning bronze on Thursday night,defeating Alexandr Burca of Moldova after being tied 7-7 on points. That win has reduced his pain,but not erased it completely. I am happy but an Olympic medal is something different. My immediate target is the Commonwealth Games next year but my ultimate aim is the London Olympics 2012. I will do anything to win there, he asserted.

In winning Indias first wrestling medal at the world championships in 42 years Vishambhar Singh won a silver in 1967 Ramesh not only ended the medal drought; he also became the only wrestler in the country to win a medal at every level in the world championships,having won gold in the junior and cadet divisions earlier.

I am happy at my record but I would be even more pleased if someone breaks it. Since I have two gold and a bronze,I would love it if a youngster wins gold at all levels, he said.

Winning medals at the world level seems to come naturally to Ramesh. Having started off at the age of 10 under his grandfathers guidance,the 27-year-old resident of Purkhas village in Haryanas Sonepat district has been training under Rohtas Singh at the Kishanganj akhara in the Capital for the past 15 years. I trained under Naresh Dahiya initially,who taught me the basics,then came to Delhi in 1994. Since then I have been training with Rohtas, he said.

His first major win was a gold at the world school boys championships in New Delhi,way back in 1997. Since then,he has won gold at the junior and senior Asian championships and the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

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Rohtas,on his part,is glad at his wards success. To be honest,I am not surprised. He has always been a sincere wrestler and even as a kid he was very quick and agile. Both Naresh and me have worked hard on him. He has represented India around 38 times and,barring a few,won medals every time, he said.

Rohtas,however,feels that despite all the efforts,Indias recent victories in wrestling have come despite the system. Most of the wrestlers,including Ramesh,come from rural areas with not so strong financial backgrounds. If they get the best facilities like the ones in the western world,Indian wrestlers can beat anybody, he said.