Fight Sujeet, fight: How Indian wrestler turned adversity into Asian Games gold

Comebacks have always been a part of Sujeet Kalkal's life. Two years ago, the Indian wrestling sensation missed his chance to compete at the Paris Olympics.On his way to Kyrgyzstan for the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament, the 23-year-old was left stranded in Dubai for three days after floods disrupted his travel. With every passing minute, his Olympic dream slipped further away. By the time he finally reached Kyrgyzstan, the opportunity was gone.Fast-forward to the Asian Games in Nagoya, and Sujeet found himself in an eerily familiar situation. This time, however, the stakes were even higher. It was the final of the men's 65kg freestyle wrestling event, and the gold medal that had been within touching distance was suddenly slipping away.Against Tajikistan's Abdulmazhid Kudiev, Sujeet was trailing 2-9. The clock was ticking down, and only something extraordinary could have saved the Indian wrestler. And that's exactly what happened.A comeback of epic proportions saw Sujeet end India's eight-year wait for a wrestling gold at the Asian Games. The Indian unleashed an eight-point scoring spree to overturn a 7-2 deficit and move 10-9 ahead, leaving Kudiev scrambling for answers. With the clock running down, Kalkal kept his composure, defended his slender advantage and completed a stunning comeback to clinch Asian Games gold.His victory also placed Kalkal in an elite group of Indian wrestlers. He became only the third Indian to win the men's 65kg freestyle gold at the Asian Games, joining Yogeshwar Dutt, who triumphed in 2014, and Bajrang Punia, the 2018 champion.But how did he pull it off? Was it a quick change of strategy? A mistake from his opponent? Or simply an unshakeable will to succeed?The last of those was evident throughout the bout. But Sujeet revealed a far simpler mantra. He chose not to dwell on what had happened two years ago. Instead, he told himself to keep fighting."I don't focus too much on things that have already happened. In Paris, it wasn't really in our hands. It was almost like a natural disaster, there were floods and we couldn't reach the venue. There was nothing we could do about that," said Sujeet in a virtual interaction.Our job is to keep trying. In a final, even if I am losing, my duty is to fight until my last breath. That's what I did in that final. I told myself that whatever strength and energy I had left, I had to give everything. I did that and won the gold for the country.ANYTHING BIGGER THAN ASIAN GAMES GOLD?Sujeet counts the Asian Games gold as his biggest achievement so far. Yet when asked if there could be anything that tops it, the 23-year-old had a beaming smile.He didn't hide his excitement when talking about his dream of winning an Olympic medal at the same event he missed two years ago."The Asian Games gold is my biggest achievement so far. The World Championships are coming up, and winning there would be an even bigger achievement.""But ultimately, the Olympics are the final stage. Nothing can give you more happiness than becoming an Olympic champion because that is every athlete's dream. That would be the biggest achievement for me," said Sujeet.'MY DIWALI IS WINNING A MEDAL'Sujeet will now turn his attention towards the World Wrestling Championships in Kazakhstan, which begin on October 24 and run until November 1. The medal matches are expected to take place on the final day, just a few days before Diwali.Sujeet hasn't been at home for Diwali over the past few years. For him, winning a medal would be as good as celebrating the festival itself."The first thing I want to say is that for a sportsperson, any achievement is itself a celebration. If I achieve something like winning gold for the country at the Asian Games, that is my Diwali.""I haven't really gone home during Diwali or Holi so far because there is always some competition or the other around those festivals," said Sujeet.The Indian wrestling sensation also revealed how his father told him to simply bring the gold back home and it would be as big as Diwali itself.My father always tells me, 'If you bring home gold, that automatically becomes Diwali and Holi for us. Don't worry about anything else.'"This time too, there is going to be a competition around Diwali. I know I'll be competing then. So if I win gold for the country, that will be Diwali for me," said Sujeet.With that never-say-die attitude driving him forward, don't be surprised if Sujeet rings in Diwali with another medal to his name. His star is only beginning to rise.- Ends