World wrestling champion from India
Sushil Kumar became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the World wrestling championship in Moscow. He defeated Russia's Alan Gogaev 3-1 in the final of the 66kg freestyle category Sunday.
Sushil hails from Baprola village of New Delhi. He got inspiration from his father Mr. Diwan Singh Solanki, a bus driver in MTNL, who was also a wrestler. He started Wrestling at the age of 14 and won State Wrestling Championship amid lack of proper training and insufficient funds for wrestling. In 1998 he displayed his talent by winning the Gold Medal at the World Cadet Championship.
He had won the bronze in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The 27-year-old already holds the Asian and Commonwealth titles. He was conferred the 'Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award' for his outstanding achievement as a sports person in July 2009. India had won the bronze medal in 1961for Uday Chand , silver in 1967 for Bishambhar Singh and bronze for Alka Tomar in 2006.