SPORTS
Wrestlers won many medals in 2017 but overall wrestling failed to live up to the hype it once created.
Indian wrestling would have remained a tale of highs and lows had it not been for two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar's Phoenix-like rise, which gave a reality check to a sport that hasn't moved much since his sudden exit from the scene three years ago.
Wrestling have accounted for medals at the Olympics since 2008 Beijing Games, but overall it has failed to lived up to the hype it once created, and it was evident in 2017.
Despite winning a number of medals, Indians were found wanting on many occasions with none coming close to the class of Sushil or Yogeshwar Dutt, and even Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik failed to up the glamour quotient with her inconsistent performances.
For a 34-year-old, making a comeback was a tough task, but Sushil hardly faced any such threat on the way to winning a gold at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship.
He showed class is permanent, and that the youngsters still have a long way to go, at least in his weight category - men's 74kg freestyle.
Out of action since the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, few anticipated Sushil's return to the sporting arena, especially given the circumstances that forced him into oblivion.
What started as a mere injury, which deterred him from taking part in the 2015 selection trials for World Championships that also posed as Rio Olympic qualifiers, went on take unexpected turns.
From getting a royal snub from the Wrestling Federation of India and Delhi High Court, which cost him a chance to participate in the Olympics last year, to allegations of spiking drinks of a fellow wrestler who qualified for the Rio Games in his weight division, the country's most decorated Olympian faced it all.
In addition, his administrative responsibilities and appointment as a national observer almost sealed his fate as an athlete, but his inclination to compete got the better of him and Sushil announced his decision to return to the mat at the National championship last month in Indore.
He later also resigned as the national observer, making his intentions of continuing as a sportsperson clear.
His fairy-tale return, however, turned into an anti-climax with three of his opponents, out of five, conceding their bouts as "a mark of respect", handing him a gold medal on a platter and making it look like a farce.
His rivals might have done it out of reverence, but it certainly robbed Sushil a chance of staking his claim on the medal in a way that he deserved and wanted.
Although he did manage to give a glimpse of what he is still capable of in a couple of initial round bouts that he wrapped off in less than three minutes, before receiving the unexpected walkovers in quarters, semis and the final.
However, Sushil did not have to wait long before showing his mettle, as he bagged a gold on his own merit at the recently-concluded Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in Johannesburg.
Even though he faced just five rivals in his weight category, he defeated them all en route to his yellow metal.
One of them was compatriot Praveen Rana, who had incidentally given Sushil a walkover in the title clash at Indore. But the two battled out this time, and it was the veteran grappler, who came out on top with a 5-4 victory.
It gave Sushil what he craved for since the Nationals, but that certainly did not paint a very bright picture of Indian wrestling.
The fact that Rana has been India's top grappler in 74kg category after Sushil and Narsingh Yadav's exit from the scene, now proved that the sport in the country has not made a significant move.
Not just in 74kg, the Indians failed to make a mark at the World Championships in August across all three categories -- men, women and Greco-Roman. They returned empty-handed from the mega-event with none of them making it to even the medal rounds, despite the contingent boasting names like Sakshi and Asian champion Bajrang Punia.
This was a complete contrast to their dominating show at the Asian Championships in May, when hosts India had put up their best-ever performance by clinching 10 medals, including a gold in New Delhi.
But their failure to replicate it at the Paris World Championships in a space of a couple of months exposed many flaws and the need to bridge the gap at the highest level.
In the later part of the year, though, they made amends with Bajrang, Vinod Omprakash and Ritu Phogat returning with three silver medals for the first time from U-23 World Championships, held in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
At the recently-concluded Commonwealth Wrestling, India won medals across three categories, but that was not enough to authenticate their standing at the world stage, given the standard of competition there.
Nonetheless, Indian grapplers definitely showed potential and with the experienced Sushil back in action, they are certain to give a much better account of themselves at next year's Commonwealth and Asian Games.
When Abhishek Bachchan broke his silence on divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai: ‘Will you let me…”
Triupati Laddo row: Andhra Pradesh govt appoints BR Naidu as new chairman of Tirupati temple board
Meet man who left his IT job to build Indian brand, competes with Domino's, Pizza Hut, he is...
Diwali 2024: Know puja vidhi, shubh muhurat, significance, rituals and more
Meet man, whose father is a taxi driver, clears UPSC with AIR...
India's largest insurer gets demand notice of Rs 650000000 for...
DNA TV Show: Why RBI increasing gold reserves amid record high price of yellow metal
THIS Indian village has homes with no front doors, or locks, the reason is...
Delhi Pollution: Air quality dips to 'very poor' on Diwali eve, AQI reaches...
'There is so much potential...': Ramiz Raja's blunt Babar Azam comparison with Viv Richards
THIS Tata Group company approves Rs 5666 crore investment for new project, set to build...
Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir resort to desperate '35-bowler' tactic ahead of IND vs NZ 3rd Test
Meet man who was once thrown out of a luxury hotel, now owns it, he is from...
7th Pay Commission: Good news for government employees of THIS state! DA hiked by...
IPL 2025 retention: Shubman Gill emulates MS Dhoni, accepts multi-crore pay cut for THIS reason
'Vocal for local': Manu Bhaker chooses handmade 'mitti' diyas for Diwali, shares pic
Watch: Boss gifts diamond pendants, chains to woman employees, video goes viral
Ahead of Diwali, Gautam Adani gets richer by Rs 39000 crore after...
'I have not worked out': This is how Vidya Balan achieved drastic weight loss without exercising
IPL 2025: Major setback for Shreyas Iyer as Kolkata Knight Riders release explosive retention update
ICC Rankings: Jasprit Bumrah dethroned as No. 1 Test bowler; Rishabh Pant, Virat Kohli out of top 10
Sobhita Dhulipala, Naga Chaitanya wedding date revealed? Star couple will be tying knot on...
Meet man, IIM alumnus, who leads India's 2nd largest telecom company worth Rs 978000 crore, he is...
Why do we add Rs 1 coin in 'Shagun' envelope?
Govardhan Puja 2024: Know the date, shubh muhurat, rituals, significance of worshipping Lord Krishna
7-foot-long crocodile enters residence, here's what happened next
MS Dhoni takes cheeky dig at fans speculating IPL retentions, says 'everyone is a team owner....'
Diwali 2024: 5 must try sugar-free recipes for diabetics this Diwali
Virat Kohli set to lead RCB in IPL 2025? Here's the inside scoop ahead of retention day
Diwali GIFT! After DA hike, HRA increased of govt employees in this state; check details
Delhi Metro announces revision in train timings for Diwali, check details
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio leads THIS list for third consecutive quarter, outpaces global...
Gautam Adani's flagship company's shares surge over 5% after Q2 results, market cap reaches Rs...
Chhoti Diwali 2024: Know the shubh muhurat, puja vidhi, significance for Naraka Chaturdashi
'India vibes': Viral video shows Australian homes lit up for Diwali, WATCH
Singham Again vs Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 box office clash: Which film has got more screens and theatres?
Friends actress Teri Garr passes away due to multiple sclerosis
Meet Aloo Mistry, Tata Trusts' chairman Noel Tata's wife, her famous father is...
Tesla CEO Elon Musk buys secret luxury compound worth Rs 290 crore for...
India in Last 24 Hr: Suraj Yadav’s Instagram page crosses 1 million followers in just 6 months
'Drama queen' Ananya Panday gives 'forced kisses' to Bhavana Pandey, adorable video goes VIRAL
Review unlocking power of people analytics: Vibhu Verma's vision for data-driven workforce
King Charles on first India tour with Queen Camilla post-coronation, is on a personal visit to...
Salman Khan gets death threat again, Rs 2 crore demanded, Mumbai police takes action
REVEALED: Mukesh Ambani's Diwali hamper to Reliance employees includes...; watch video
Kerala CPI(M) leader Divya arrested in ADM suicide case after bail plea rejected
Film editor Nishad Yusuf found dead in Kerala, police investigates
THIS village has replaced its young people with mannequins, reason is...
'We are closely...': US welcomes India-China agreement on border disengagement
UK issues urgent travel warning for 18 countries, reason is...
Delhi pollution: Air quality mildly improves ahead of Diwali, AQI remains 'poor' category