Sushil plots return,targets Budapest Worlds

In August Sushil Kumar will complete a year since he won silver at the London Olympics.

In August wrestler Sushil Kumar will complete a year since he won silver at the London Olympics. The two-time Olympic medalist though hasnt participated in a major championship since the high at London because he has been nursing a shoulder injury.

But Sushil has already begun a countdown to his return to action,which is scheduled to happen at the FILA World Wrestling Championships to be held in Budapest,Hungary,in September. The championships remains special for Sushil because three years ago he had won gold after defeating Russian Alex Gogaev in the final of the 66 kilogram category.

It was a historic feat considering that he was the first Indian to win gold at the world event.

Yet after a similar break to the one he has taken now since the Olympics,Sushil failed to defend his World Wrestling Championship gold the next year. Sushil,though,sounds confident of doing well at Budapest in spite of being low on bout-time.

The most important thing is that the shoulder injury,which I had been nursing has improved. Moreover,I had been training hard at the Sports Authority of Indias facility at Sonepat with other wrestlers. Along with the coaches we have been working hard, Sushil said.

The thirty-year-old is now banking on the exposure tours ahead of the World championships. Before the World championships,the wrestling federation will organise exposure trips or training camp for us. It will help us be well-prepared for the championships, he added.

Sushil had missed the Senior Asian Wrestling Championship in April in New Delhi where he was expected to spearhead the Indian challenge. In January this year,Sushil was supposed to compete at the Dave Schultz Memorial International tournament in Colorado Springs but opted out.

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Yogeshwar and I skipped the event because we wanted the junior wrestlers to get a chance to play for India. I am glad they grabbed the opportunity. Amit Dhankar and Bajrang who replaced me and Yogeshwar repectively won medals in the championship and we couldnt be any happier, said Sushil about the Senior Asian Wrestling Championships.

The focus now will be not only on winning medals but also staying injury-free ahead of the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in 2014.

I would like to win gold in the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. The federation and our coaches have been planning our preparatory tours and making a list of tournaments we will participate in.