Yogeshwar Dutt will be representing India at Rio Olympics 2016 in the 65 kg freestyle category after securing his quota at the Asian Olympic qualifier at Astana in Kazakhstan. Dutt is one of India’s biggest prospects to bag a medal at the Games which will commence on 6th August in Rio. The 33-year-old had won the bronze medal in the 2012 London Olympics in Men’s 60 kg freestyle category.
#1 Yogeshwar Dutt was born 2 November 1982, in Gohana, Sonipat district, Haryana.
#2 He started wrestling at the young age of 8 years and was inspired by Balraj Pehlwan – who belonged to his native village.
#3 He was awarded with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award by the Government of India in 2012.
#4 He had lost his father just nine days before boarding the flight for the 2006 Asian Games which was held in Doha, and had also suffered a knee injury. Despite all the emotional and physical trauma, he made his country proud by winning the bronze medal in the 60 kg category in wrestling at the Games.
#5 He represented India for the first time at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and participated in the 55 kg freestyle wrestling event and stood 18th.
#6 He won the gold medal at the 2008 Asian Championships in South Korea to book a berth for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where he was ranked 9th in the 60 kg freestyle event.
#7 He won the gold medal in the 60kg freestyle event for his country at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, defeating Farzad Tarash, Marius Roots and Sasha Madyarchyk on his journey for the gold.
#8 He became the third Indian wrestler to win an Olympic medal after KD Jadhav in 1952 and Sushil Kumar in 2008 and 2012 after winning the bronze medal in the men’s 60kg freestyle event, defeating Ri Jong-Myong of North Korea in the bout for the bronze medal.
#9 He won the gold medal in the 65kg men’s freestyle event at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, after defeating Canada’s Jevon Balfour 10-0 in the finals to clinch gold medals in two consecutive Commonwealth Games.
#10 Dutt will be appearing in his last Olympics for India as he has decided to bring the curtains down on his Olympic career, and aims to win the gold medal at the Rio Games.
