Olympic : Yogeshwar wins bronze medal in wrestling

London: Yogeshwar Dutt won India’s fifth medal and fourth bronze at London Olympics in Men’s 60kg freestyle category wrestling.
Dutt defeated Jong Myong Ri of DPR Korea 3-1 taking the thrid period 6-0. This is India’s 3rd Olympic bonze medal in wrestling

The 29-year-old Yogeshwar produced a heroic show on the wrestling mat as he worked his way through three rounds of repechage to snatch the bronze medal and take India’s tally to a record five medals — one silver and four bronze — at the Excel Arena.

Spurred on by vociferous Indian spectators who kept chanting ‘India, India’, Yogeshwar pulled off a spectacular 3-1 victory over North Korea’s Ri Jong Myong to bring about his moment of glory in a thrilling bout, which saw the Indian concede the first round.

Yogeshwar, who was in his third Olympics, also became the third Indian wrestler after Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav and Sushil Kumar to win an Olympic medal. Jadhav and Kumar had won bronze medals in 1952 Helsinki and 2008 Beijing Games.

Yogeshwar’s mentor Satpal, who is also Sushil’s father-in-law, was all praises for his ward.

“What a bout he fought, it is one of the best wrestling bouts I have see. It is no joke fighting three bouts in less than an hour,” he said.

For Yogeshwar, London was “now of never”. “I know I have to attack. If I don’t win a medal. Abhi nahin to kabhi nahin (it is now or never),” Yogeshwar had said.

In the bronze medal match, Yogeshwar put up a spirited performance despite losing the first period 1-0. Yogeshwar, struggling to barely open his right eye, came back strongly in the second period winning it 1-0.

Realising that bronze medal was almost in his grasp, there was no stopping Yogeshwar in the third and the final period that he won 6-0.

The 30-year-old Yogeshwar jumped in joy and did a cartwheel as celebrations broke out in the North Arena 2. He had just snatched a medal from the jaws of defeat.