Yogeshwar Dutt eyeing comeback at World Championship

CHANDIGARH: Bronze medallist in the 2012 London Olympics, Yogeshwar Dutt has targeted the World Championship – to be held in September later this year – for his comeback to the wrestling mat.


ALSO READ: Know your CWG athlete - Vinesh Phogat
“I am looking to make a winning return in the World Championship,” Yogeshwar told TOI on Tuesday. “And, I am telling all my detractors that my wrestling career isn’t over yet.”

Yogeshwar may have missed out on a medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but he stressed that “he is far from finished”. He also added that he hasn’t taken a call on whether to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

ALSO READ: Know your CWG athlete: Sushil Kumar
The grappler has been busy nurturing young talent at his academy in Bali village in Sonipat. “I want to give the country a new generation of wrestlers who will get India medals at the international stage. There are around 200 young wrestlers at my academy who are not only from Haryana, but also come from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Hyderabad and Maharashtra,” he pointed out.

“By the 2024 Olympics, I can guarantee that my academy will produce three to four wrestlers who will win medals for the country.”

Yogeshwar said that he didn’t charge any fee from his trainees. “My sole purpose is to prepare good wrestlers for the country.”