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Despite battling a knee injury, Haryana's Sumit Malik sealed a Tokyo Olympic berth in the 125kg freestyle event at the World Wrestling Qualifiers on Friday.
Making full use of a relatively easy draw, Sumit steam-rolled one opponent after another to stay on course for his maiden Olympic berth. He blanked Jose Daniel Diaz Robertti of Venezuela 5-0 to make the medal rounds at the qualifying tournament.
Sumit Malik thus became the seventh Indian wrestler to seal a quota for the Tokyo Olympics. On that note, here is a detailed look at his early life and career:
Also Read: Wrestler Sumit Malik qualifies for Tokyo Olympics in the men's 125kg category
Sumit Malik's early life
Sumit was born on 9 January 1993 in the village of Karor, which is near the Rohtak district of Haryana. He has taken long strides to make his mark on the domestic circuit. Sumit was raised by his maternal grandparents after he lost his mother at a young age.
The grappler's maternal uncle, a wrestler in Chhatrasal Stadium, played a key role in ensuring that he climbed the ladder of success. Sumit has been training at the stadium since the age of 13.
His introduction to wrestling
Sumit failed to make a mark in the sport in his initial years. His rigorous training barely yielded results, and he failed to deliver in crucial bouts.
In an earlier interview with The Field, Sumit shared how he struggled for the first five years of his career.
"Forget medals, I could not win a single bout at the state level for three years. I was not getting any results and it was disappointing. Those days, I did not practice much. It took me five years to win a medal. And then I took off,” Sumit Malik told The Field.
But he took everyone by surprise by clinching gold at the 2013 Junior Asian Championships in the 96kg category. Unfortunately, he failed to secure a place at the Rio Olympics after sustaining a severe back injury in the Olympic Qualifiers.
Sumit made a valiant comeback in 2017 to clinch a silver medal at the Asian Championships. He began his campaign by pinning Japan's Taiki Yamamoto 6-3 that ensured his passage to the semi-finals. Sumit then ousted Tajikistan's Farkhod Anakulov 7-2 in the semi-finals to assure himself of a silver medal. He bagged another silver medal later that year at the Commonwealth Championships.
Sumit's crowning moment came at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, where he won a gold medal in the 125kg category.
Tokyo Olympics: Poised for glory
For Sumit Malik, the Tokyo Olympic quota is a reassurance of his potential after years of struggle.
He will be the first Indian wrestler to compete at the Olympics in the heavyweight category in 16 years. Earlier, Palwinder Singh Cheema represented India in this weight category at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Sumit will now aim to maximize his potential and carve his name in Olympic history in Tokyo this summer.
Also Read: Tokyo Olympic-bound Indian wrestler Sumit Malik to miss action for three weeks due to injury
