2013 Deaflympics gold medallist Virender Singh wants to participate in 2016 Rio Olympics

Virender Singh, popularly known as ‘Goonga Pehelwan’ or mute wrestler, has set a new target for himself, the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Singh is deaf and mute, but that hasn’t stopped him from dreaming big – he wants to wrestle with normally-able wrestlers and is seeking help from the Indian government.

“I have won so many medals but the government is still not supporting me which makes me really sad. If it supports me, I will be more inspired and perform better,” Singh, said through an interpretor.

“This is the sport that I have always loved and it has given me so much. It it’s all that I have ever done right since my early childhood,” Singh said.

The 28-year-old wrestler had won a gold medal at the 2013 Deaflympics in Bulgaria this year in the men’s 74kg Freestyle event.

Previously he picked up a gold at the Deaflympics in Melbourne in 2005 and a silver at the World Deaf Wrestling Championships in 2008 in Armenia. He had also scored a bronze at the 2009 Deaflympics in Taipei.

“I love my country and I can never be rude. I am a humble person and I can never boast about it. It is God and I believe in him. I accept everybody and never reject anyone. He also maintained that he never considered giving up or quitting wrestling,” says Singh.

The wrestler who has trained with Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar said, “I know in my heart that one day things will turn out to be better and I still carry that hope in me.”