Two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar was today expressed optimism of wrestling continuing to be a part of the 2020 Summer Games by getting a favourable verdict in September.
Sushil, the only Indian sportsperson to win back-to-back individual Olympic medals with a bronze in 2008 at Beijing and a silver in London last year, said it would be a huge loss to India's medal hopes if the sport doesn't make the cut for the 2020 Olympics.
"If wrestling is not included in the 2020 Olympics, the loss will not be to US, Russia, China or Japan because they already have medals. The maximum impact will be on India and it will be a huge loss if wrestling is not there because our wrestlers have started to perform now," Kumar told PTI here.
The ancient sport is grappling with two other disciplines - squash and baseball/softball - for survival with the 125th IOC session in Beunos Aires voting to include one of the three for the 2020 Olympics programme.
Sushil, who today signed up with non-profit sports foundation Olympic Gold Quest, said youngsters have started taking up to the mat game in large numbers recently.
"We have created history this time by becoming champions in Asia in senior and junior level. The cadet national for under-16 is also going on and there is a possibility that we can become champions over there as well. The mindset of youngsters is changing. So the biggest loss would be to us if not to some other country.
"We had expectations even earlier that wrestling will be included in 2020 Olympic Games. The previous FILA President (Raphael Martinetti) did not give a good presentation there and that is why he tendered his resignation. In our country and in the world there was an uproar that wrestling was excluded from the Olympic Games.
"Everybody supported it and created the pressure on the IOC that wrestling should remain as an Olympic sport. Wrestling got eight of 15 votes. I believe in September also, it will be decided that wrestling will be a part of 2020 Olympics," he maintained.
