Olympic bronze medallist Sushil Kumar says wrestlers are hoping to bag a rich haul in the Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi, where the sport returns as a discipline after being left out of Melbourne in 2006.
“Wrestlers have always contributed lots of medals to India’s tally in the Commonwealth Games, we are excited as the chances of repeating the show again this time.,” said Sushil, who is currently in the training camp for Indian wrestlers at Sports Authority of India’s Sonepat campus.
“As wrestling was not among the events at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, India missed a chance to boost their medal tally,” Sushil said.
Organisers of the 2006 Commonwealth Games had omitted wrestling from the list of optional disciplines.
“Now with wrestling back among the disciplines at Delhi 2010, we wrestlers are determined to bag a lot of medals for India,” Sushil said, adding that India’s performance in the recent Asian Wrestling Championships in New Delhi underscored the prowess of the grapplers.
“I was disappointed to miss competing in the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Being the title winner at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships, I was a strong contender for a gold medal if wrestling was part of Melbourne’s 2006 Games,” he said.
Sushil’s confidence is high as he remains the reigning champion in the biennial Commonwealth Wrestling Championships.
“I feel proud that my bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics has contributed in boosting the confidence of Indian wrestlers, all of who are now eyeing medals in the Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi,” said Sushil.
Sushil said India, Canada and England were traditionally the strong nations in Commonwealth Games wrestling, while other major challengers for medals would come from Australia, Pakistan and South Africa.
The Wrestling Federation of India will finalise the grapplers for the XIX Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 after selection trials on Aug 8 and 9.
Selection trails for men, both in Freestyle and Greco-Roman Style, will be held in Sonepat on August 8, while trials for women wrestlers are scheduled for August 9 in Patiala.
Women’s wrestling has been included in the Commonwealth Games for the first time here at Delhi 2010.

India’s leadings sportspersons, nominated brand ambassadors for the Commonwealth Games, will spearhead the nation’s hunt for glory in the ‘Go for Gold’ campaign on August 14 marking the 50-day countdown to the Delhi 2010 Games.
Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Singh and World No. 2 badminton player Saina Nehwal will be among the Commonwealth Games brand ambassadors who will visit various residential localities around Delhi, eliciting support for the Games from the capital’s residents.
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, the biggest multiple-sport event staged in India since the 1982 Asian Games, is scheduled for Oct. 3-14.
Other star athletes appointed brand ambassadors for the 2010 Commonwealth Games are Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra, Olympic bronze medallist wrestler Sushil Kumar, Commonwealth’s ace pistol shooter Samaresh Jung and four-time World champion woman boxer M.C. Mary Kom.
The star athletes will travel around the city in two floats across Delhi, which will be flagged off from the Organising Committee Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 headquarter opposite Jantar Mantar in the morning. It will traverse through the interior and far-flung areas of Delhi.
The procession will start in the form of a parade, lead by the athletes and comprising volunteers, that will provide the city’s residents an opportunity be part of the grand event, which will conclude with a gala function in a five-star hotel in the evening. The 50-day countdown will provide a sneak preview of the CWG anthem composed exclusively for CWG Delhi 2010 by noted musician A.R. Rahman. On the occasion the specially designed uniforms for the Commonwealth Games workforce will also be unveiled.
Plans are to use all possible mediums to invite all Delhiites to come and join the parade and cheer the athletes. In addition, sporting enthusiasts will get a chance to be photographed with ‘Shera’, the mascot for CWG Delhi 2010. There will be a on the spot contest named “Be The Innovative Fan” and the most innovative ones will get the prizes.
You can also click photographs and shoot videos and submitting them to a micro-site being created for the fans to celebrate the spirit of joy and togetherness and cheering the sporting personals to go for gold.