Olympic Bronze Medallist Yogeshwar Dutt's Path to Glory
Indian wrestlers have proved their strength on the world stage, beating established opponents and bringing home medals from the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World Championships. Among the sportspersons who have carved a lasting legacy is Yogeshwar Dutt, whose name is firmly counted among the nation's finest grapplers.
Dutt was born on November 2, 1982, in Bhainswal Kalan, a village in Sonipat, Haryana. He is set to turn 44 on Monday. Although his family valued education, he chose wrestling as his path. His father supported this choice, and he was inspired by Balraj Pahalwan. Dutt specialised in freestyle wrestling.
His formative years were spent at Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi, which is considered a nursery of wrestling talent today. He began practising there at 14 and learned the finer techniques of the sport from coach Satpal Singh. The journey was demanding, as he had to commute from Sonipat to Delhi by train every day. Yet his determination to reach his goal made these difficulties easier to manage.
His international career took off in 2006, when he claimed bronze in the 60 kg category at the Asian Games in Doha. In 2010, he struck gold in the same category at the Commonwealth Games held in Delhi.
In 2012, Dutt secured bronze at the Olympic Games in London. He became the third Indian wrestler to win an Olympic medal, following K.D. Jadhav and Sushil Kumar.
The year 2014 was another remarkable one for him. He won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and also at the Asian Games in Incheon. His earlier gold medals at the Asian Championships in 2008 and 2012 further strengthened his reputation.
Dutt retired from wrestling in November 2018. The government recognised his achievements with the Arjuna Award in 2009, the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2012, and the Padma Shri in 2013.
Since leaving competitive wrestling, he has been involved in politics. He still makes time to motivate young wrestlers and to explain the subtleties of the sport to them.