New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANS) Three-time gold medallist in the Commonwealth Championships, Ravinder Singh is excited about the return of the wrestling event to the Commonwealth Games and he is settling for nothing less than a gold.
“Wrestling as a sport was dropped from the (2006) Melbourne edition and it was really disappointing for me as I was preparing for it for years. I am happy that it is back included,” Singh, reigning national champion, told IANS.
“My target is to win a gold medal. I am very confident about my chances, as I have put in a lot of hard work. I have worked specifically on my technique to take on tougher competitors from U.S. and Africa,” he said.
Singh, who hails from a small village Kharman in Haryana, is competing in the Greco-Roman-style in the 60-kg category.
“There are no very good wrestlers in Asia in my weight category, but yes there are some Canadian and Nigerian wrestlers, who can really pose a stiff challenge. But I am very excited as I love to face tough opponents,” he pointed out.
Talking about the support for wrestling from the Haryana government, Singh said: “It is very helpful and the government encourages us a lot.”
“The government has announced Rs. 15 lakh (Rs. 1.5 million) prize to the gold medallist. That is the reason why Haryana is doing so well in sports as such initiatives automatically encourage us,” he said.
Singh said he was given a job in the railways, under sports quota, and was aiming to crack into the state police force after a good showing at the Commonwealth and the Asian Games.
Talking about his past achievements, Singh said: “I won three gold medals in the Commonwealth Championship in 2005, 2007 and 2009. I also won a bronze in the Asian championships earlier this year, so my morale is obviously high. Besides, I am also the national champion for the last 10 years.”
Singh praised wrestler Sushil Kumar on becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal in the World Championship last month.
“Sushil’s performance has further motivated us to perform better in the Commonwealth Games. He is doing really well for the last few years and is seen as wrestling hero in our country,” said Singh.
