Indian wrestlers to watch out for at the Asian Games

With Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt at the fag end of their careers, a new breed of young Indian wrestlers will have to step up for the Asian Games

In 2012, when double Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar turned down a surrogate advertisement for a liquor brand, you knew that Indian wrestling was in safe hands. The humble wrestler from Delhi was quick to decline the offer, saying that his sporting values would never allow him to appear in such an ad and it would set a bad precedent for young athletes aspiring to represent India at the world stage. In a country obsessed with cricket, Kumar's outstanding exploits in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012 have helped him etch a special place for himself in the hearts of Indian sports fans. And though, the gold that he won in the recently concluded Commonwealth Games appeared a mere formality for the former world champion, at 31, the clock is ticking for Kumar. The Rio De Janiero Olympics in 2016 may well prove to be the final bow for the man who, unarguably, has been the country's most consistent sportsman in the last few years.

His teammate and fellow Olympic medalist, Yogeshwar Dutt, also put in a sublime performance at Glasgow to clinch the gold in the 66 kg men's freestyle. But like Kumar, Dutt does not have age on his side. The matman, who will turn 32 in November, will have the opportunity to cap his glittering career with another Olympic medal in 2016.

These two veterans have been carrying the baton for Indian wrestling for some time now, and as it happens in most sports, a transition is on the horizon. The duo will be replaced by young men with bulging physiques, who will be eager to replicate the success of their predecessors. Fortunately, all those who saw the Indian wrestlers in Glasgow would have realised that the future, happily, is far from bleak. The Indian grapplers finished with a rich haul of 13 medals, with all but one wrestlers securing podium finishes. And it wasn't only the men who sizzled - more than half of India's medals were won by women wrestlers. "The performance was on expected lines. We are disappointed that we couldn't make a clean sweep," says Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, president of the Wrestling Federation of India. While Kumar and Dutt will continue to dazzle us with their grappling skills for at least a couple of years more, the young guns will also have to step up to the plate. With the World Championships in Tashkent and the Asian Games in Incheon scheduled for next month, we look at some of the rising stars of the sport who would aspire to fill the void left by their idols:

PAWAN KUMAR, 20
The Delhi-born wrestler pulled off an amazing come-from-behind win against Pakistan's Muhammad Inam to clinch a bronze in the 86-kg freestyle final in Glasgow. Although new to the international circuit, his performance in Glasgow is enough proof of his enormous potential. "An Olympic medal may be an unrealistic target," says Vinod Kumar, India's chief freestyle wrestling coach. "But he can certainly secure a podium finish at the Asian Games next month."

SATYAWART KADIAN, 20
Son of former Olympian and Arjuna Award winner Satyawan Kadian, Satyawart announced his arrival on the big stage by winning a bronze at the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore in the boys' 100-kg freestyle category. In Glasgow, gold evaded the Rohtak boy by a whisker, as he lost to Canada's Arjun Gill in the final. "He dominated the match, but was unlucky to end up on the losing side. In Incheon, he will definitely win gold," says Vinod Kumar.

BABITA KUMARI, 24
The younger sister of Olympian Geeta Phogat, Babita Kumari was one of the seven women wrestlers who won medals in Glasgow . In 2012, Kumari became only the second woman since Alka Tomar in 2006 to win a medal at the World Championships. She won a bronze in the 51-kg freestyle category in Edmonton, Canada. In Glasgow, the Bhiwani girl fought with a torn ligament in the final, but secured the gold medal in emphatic fashion. Her next target will be the Asiad, where she will look to carry forward her family's rich wrestling traditions.

BAJRANG KUMAR, 20
At the tender age of 20, Bajrang Kumar can boast of medals at the World, Asian and Commonwealth levels. Bajrang, who competes in the 60-kg freestyle category, had a profitable 2013, winning bronze medals at the Asian Wrestling Championships in New Delhi and the World Championships in Budapest. The Haryana grappler was easily beaten in the 61-kg final in Glasgow, but Vinod Kumar feels that the future is bright for the young man. "Along with Amit Kumar, he is one of our best young wrestlers. Rio is still two years away. I'm sure he'll win a medal," he says.

AMIT KUMAR, 20
Ever since he won a sliver medal at the 2013 World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Amit Kumar has been billed as the man who will take over the mantle of India's best wrestler from Sushil Kumar. In Glasgow, he proved exactly why. The man from Sonepat strolled to the gold medal in the 57-kg freestyle category, beating his Nigerian opponent 6-2 in the final. "In terms of technique, he is the best we've got. He's a quick learner, and will be India's best bet at major events for years to come," says Vinod Kumar.