Controversy simply seems to follow Sushil Kumar.
News of the Olympic medalist qualifying for the 2018 Commonwealth Games had barely surfaced when reports emerged of a violent fight between his supporters and the fans of his opponent in the trial.
Sushil Kumar had fought Praveen Rana for a spot in next year’s CWG when Rana reportedly resorted to unfair means during the bout. He allegedly hit Sushil on the head and even bit him on the arm.
While Sushil eventually did win the bout and book his spot, what followed after has got him on the wrong side of the headlines once again.
Rana’s brother, who was allegedly one of the victims of the fight between fans, told ANI that his attackers threatened to kill him and said they would not allow Rana to participate in the upcoming PWL (Pro Wrestling League)
Sushil, on the other hand, claimed that he had been bitten by Rana during the bout but asked all fans to maintain calm.
"...he bit me but no problem, it might be his tactics to stop me from performing well. All this is a part of sports," a panting Sushil told reporters after the bouts.
"Whatever happened here was wrong. I condemn it. There was mutual respect after the fight ended," he added.
Incidentally, the 34-year-old Sushil had beaten Rana in the Commonwealth Championships final.
WFI President Brij Bhushan Singh Sharan said the fracas took place outside the wrestling arena and he had not witnessed the drama.
However, he promised action if a formal complaint is lodged with the federation.
"The incident didn't happen in front of us, it happened outside, in the warm-up area. It was instigated from just one side," Sharan told PTI without specifying the camp he was referring to.
"I have feared such an incident since last year and that is why the trials have been postponed. We had written to Delhi Police to provide security but it was not adequate," he said.
"We at WFI can take any action only when somebody comes forward and lodges a complaint to us. So far nobody, neither Sushil or Rana, has lodged any complaint. As and when anyone does, we will investigate and take strict action as per our jurisdiction area," he assured.
With his selection for the quadrennial games, Sushil would be aiming for a third successive gold at the Commonwealth Games.
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