Sushil put Indian wrestling on the world map: TNA star Angle

Kurt Angle would not have even imagined an Indian grappler finishing on the podium in the Olympic Games had it not been for Sushil Kumar's historic bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games, which made the TNA impact wrestling legend stand up and take notice of the country.
The 45-year-old Angle, the only Olympic gold medallist (1996 Atlanta Games) in the history of professional wrestling, was effusive in his praise for India's only double Olympic medallist, Sushil, whom he described as "one of the best grapplers in the world at the moment". Sushil had won silver medal at the London Games in 2012.

"Today is my favourite day as I am meeting Sushil Kumar. I love what he has accomplished in his career. I have a lot of respect for him. He knows what I have done, I know what he has done. It's a mutual respect. Before 2008, I never really saw anybody who stood out from India. Then you have Sushil beating guys from United States, Iran and Russia, that speaks volume of his achievements," Angle told PTI in an interview.
"What he has accomplished for a country like India, it's just amazing and something that most countries like India would have considered impossible. He won the silver medal at the London Games. He created history by winning the World Championship gold medal in Moscow, Russia. This is so important for your country. Wrestling has a future in India because of guys like Sushil," Angle, who was in the capital to promote TNA Wrestling in India, said.

Sony Six, which is the broadcast partner for TNA, plans to have 500 hours of programming each year keeping in mind the huge sports market potential in the country. Angle and TNA knockout champion Gail Kim were in the country on a week-long promotion tour and interacted with fans from Mumbai, Lucknow and Delhi.