The story of Sushil Kumar: From rags to riches to Tihar jail (2024)

PV Sindhu, the second Indian athlete to win 2 Olympic medals, is the toast of the nation. On Sunday, the Prime Minister called to congratulate her. Sushil Kumar had won his second Olympic medal almost 9 years back. Today, he is in jail. This is the story of an Indian wrestler whose fame and reputation are now in tatters.

The story of Sushil Kumar: From rags to riches to Tihar jail (1)

PV Sindhu and Sushil Kumar: 2 Olympic stars, 2 different fates (Reuters Photo)

Rajarshi Gupta

New Delhi,UPDATED: Aug 3, 2021 08:58 IST

PV Sindhu is an elite company. When she won the bronze medal in the badminton singles event at the Tokyo Olympics, she became only the second Indian after Sushil Kumar to win two individual Olympic medals.

Sushil Kumar was the rage in Indian sports about a decade back. The wrestler won bronze in the 2008 Beijing Games and then proceeded to win silver 4 years later in London. PV Sindhu, India's badminton golden girl, captured the imagination of the nation in 2016 when she returned home with a silver medal from the Rio Olympics. At the Tokyo Games, Sindhu wrote her name in the history books with a bronze medal.

advertisement

Now, think about this. Only 2 Indians with 2 individual Olympic medals. Sindhu is only 26 and has several years left in what is already a glittering career. Sushil, 38, should have been looking back at his own historic feat and recounting tales of valour. He should have been doing that. Instead, he is in jail.

On August 2, a day after PV Sindhu sealed her place in the folklore of Indian sports, Sushil Kumar was named as the main accused in the Sagar Dhankar murder case when Delhi Police filed a 170-page chargesheet in court.

Back in May, most Indian sports fans were in disbelief when a manhunt was launched against Sushil Kumar. He was wanted in the murder of Sagar Dhankar, a 23-year-old Greco-Roman wrestler. Sushil and a few others were allegedly involved in a brawl outside the Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi. The fight resulted in the death of Dhankar and Sushil was on the run after the incident. The Olympic star was finally nabbed by police in Delhi and when pictures emerged of him in police custody, an entire nation was stunned - a few hardcore sports buffs were heartbroken. What had become of their hero?

Sagar Dhankar considered Sushil Kumar his guru. The two were apparently very close and as grisly details emerged of the moments leading to that fateful night, India was shocked.

On August 1, PV Sindhu ensured India's tally in Tokyo would be better than at least the Rio Olympics. Wishes started pouring in for her and Prime Minister Modi even spoke to the badminton superstar on the phone. PV Sindhu is the new symbol of India's Olympic dreams and the one man who would probably have been sought after for reactions was Sushil Kumar.

But Sushil would not have probably even seen the match where Sindhu established herself as one of India's most iconic athletes. Instead, his thoughts would have been on the chargesheet which would eventually be filed the next morning.

It was a humble beginning for Sushil Kumar who was born in a village near Najafgarh in South West Delhi. His father was a bus driver in MTNL Delhi. Wrestling was a dream Sushil harboured for years and his training started at the Chatrasal Stadium in Akhara more than two decades ago. Ironic.

Before the Olympics began, Sushil Kumar had requested a TV to stay updated about the Olympics. "We have allowed Sushil Kumar to watch television in the common area of his ward along with others since the Olympics is set to begin from tomorrow.

"He has made a request through his lawyer for a TV to stay updated about wrestling matches and other happenings," Director General (Delhi Prisons) Sandeep Goel had been quoted in a report by Press Trust of India.

Sushil's request was granted. The wrestling events are yet to get underway and it is not clear whether Sushil watched Sindhu replicate the double Olympic medal feat, but it is anybody's guess what was going on in his mind if he did watch.

Sushil Kumar's is a story of rags to riches. The son of a bus driver, Sushil wasn't exactly poverty-stricken, but his Olympic medals put him in the big league. He was then put in Tihar jail where he must be wondering what it was like to be celebrated as a national hero in a land where cricketers are worshipped day in and day out.

It is almost tragic. Sushil Kumar is being tried for a serious crime and the courts will decide what is to become of him from hereon, but his stardom is now a sweet dream of the past. He won't be chased down by media personnel for his reactions on Sindhu's historic achievement nor will he tweet congratulatory messages on social media.

advertisement

India has seen several athletes make it big from nowhere. Look at the examples here. Mirabai Chanu, from a remote area of Manipur, created history in Tokyo. She became the first Indian to win a medal on the opening day of the Olympics. Lovlina Borgohain had a tough time preparing for the Olympics. Between tending to her mother at a hospital and helping her father in the paddy fields, she went on to become an Olympic medalist. They will all be feted with offers of jobs and big cash prizes. Their lives would not be the same anymore.

PV Sindhu's life changed after Rio and at 26, she will be a cult figure of Indian sports.

Then there's the story of Rani Rampal. She had become the youngest player in the Indian hockey women's team when she made her international debut at 15. In 2021, Rani led India to a historic Olympic semi-final. It was an incredibly tough journey. Rani used to train with broken hockey sticks and she barely had enough to eat two meals a day.

advertisement

Rani Rampal's family could not even afford a clock. Her mother would look at the sky to determine if it was time for her daughter to wake up and go to practice. Her milk had to be adulterated with water - her parents could not do it anymore. Whatever happens in the semi-finals and beyond, Rani Rampal's fame is assured in the highest bastions of Indian sports.

Her life won't be the same anymore.

Neither will Sushil's. He is in jail and will wait to see what his future has in store for him. While India celebrates the various stories of rags to riches in these Olympics, Sushil Kumar's story will be written again with an unfortunate new chapter.

READ MORE: Tokyo Olympics: India women's hockey coach Sjoerd Marijne says win over Australia 'proves dreams can come true'

READ MORE: Tokyo Olympics: India's Dutee Chand fails to qualify for women's 200m semifinals after finishing 7th in Heat 4

Published By:

Chhabi Kala

Published On:

Aug 2, 2021

--- ENDS ---

The story of Sushil Kumar: From rags to riches to Tihar jail (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Jamar Nader

Last Updated:

Views: 6239

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (55 voted)

Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Jamar Nader

Birthday: 1995-02-28

Address: Apt. 536 6162 Reichel Greens, Port Zackaryside, CT 22682-9804

Phone: +9958384818317

Job: IT Representative

Hobby: Scrapbooking, Hiking, Hunting, Kite flying, Blacksmithing, Video gaming, Foraging

Introduction: My name is Jamar Nader, I am a fine, shiny, colorful, bright, nice, perfect, curious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.