Representational Image.© AFP
Wrestling has been a go-to game for India at Olympics in the past 16 years. The sport has produced medals for the nation in every edition of the Games since 2008. In the last five editions of Olympics wrestling has given India seven medals. Sushil Kumar (bronze in 2008 and silver in 2012), Yogeshwar Dutt (bronze in 2012), Sakshi Malik (bronze in 2016), Ravi Kumar Dahiya (silver in 2021), Bajrang Punia (bronze in 2021) and Aman Sehrawat (bronze in 2024) are the names who have earned the accolades for the country at the sports biggest extravaganza.
It is interesting to note that all the athletes named above, excluding Sakshi, are the products of Chhatrasal – a venue that has been the breeding ground for Indian wrestling talents.
It was in 1988 when former India wrestler Satpal Singh with other coaches Ramphal Mann, a.k.a. Guru Ramphal, and Pradeep Sharma started the akhada on the premises of Chhatrasal Stadium, stated Times Of India in a report.
Satpal himself shone at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games with multiple medals, but he failed to finish at the podium at Olympics in his two appearances in 1972 and 1980. The Games medal void in his illustrious career was something that propelled Satpal to start the Chhatrasal Akhada.
“Ek mann mein tees thi (there was a pain in my heart of not winning an Olympic medal). That’s why I started the akhada at the Chhatrasal Stadium. I wanted to churn out Olympic medallists for the country,” Satpal told TOI. “Now we have produced not one, but six Olympic medallists.”
Just four years after starting the akhada, Satpal realised the need of mat besides the specially designed dirt floors, which are much famous in Indian wrestling.
Fast forward to 2024, the akhada has all the modern equipments and facilities that are required for wrestlers to become world champions. After locking a bronze medal for himself in Paris Olympics, Aman carried forward Chhatarsal’s rich legacy.
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