Del to be force to reckon with in Wrestling next CW, Olympics:Gill

New Delhi, Sep 1 (UNI) Lauding Delhi Government efforts to provide best possible training to its wrestlers which had culminated in India winning its first wrestling medal at the Beijing Olympics after an over five decade gap, Union Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs M S Gill today expressed optimism that wrestlers from the state would be a force to reckon with in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and the 2012 London Olympics.

''Delhi has an old history of winning laurels in wrestling. This is in large part due to efforts made by the Delhi administration in ensuring that sportsmen from the state get the best possible training.

In this context, I am sure that in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and the 2012 London olympics, Delhi will be a force to reckon with in the wrestling arena,''Mr Gill said at a function organised by the Delhi Government to felicitate Sushil Kumar, the wrestler from Delhi who won for India a bronze medal in Beijing Olympics.

Along with Sushil Kumar, another Delhi Wrestler Yogeshwar dutt, who narrowly missed a bronze medal at Beijing, was also felicitated.

The Government also felicitated Diwan Singh, the father of Sushil Kumar.

On this occasion, the Chief Minister also announced the promotion of the Satpal, the manager of the Delhi wrestling team, from the post of Deputy Director (Sports) to the Additional Director (Sports) in the Delhi Government.

While lauding the achievement of Sushil Kumar, Mr Gill, cautioning against complacency, said,''we must not rest on our laurels and not be content with just securing a bronze. I wish that wrestlers get at least four to five Gold medals in the 2010 Commonwealth Games.'' On his part, Mr Gill said, he would offer all possible support to the Sheila Dikshit Government in Delhi for promotion of sports in Delhi.

Describing the winning of a wrestling bronze medal by Sushil as ''a glorious moment as we have won a wrestling medal after a gap of 56 years'', Mr Gill, going down memory lane, said,''today I remember Yadav, who won a wrestling medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. What he did then has no parralel considering that at that time there were no facilities in sports - no coach and no menetary help.'' Speaking at the function, where another Delhi wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, who narrowly missed an Olympic medal, was also felicitated, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said,''the Delhi Government is committed to give all possible training to its sportspersons in disciplines like Wrestling, Badminton, Table Tennis. Whatever help we can give to our sportspersons, we will give and leave no stone unturned in this regard.

If need be, we will send them even abroad for training. Our only endeavour will be to get as many medals as possible in the 2010 Commonwealth Games so as to set a new record.'' The Chief Minister said that by winning the Olympic medal, Sushil Kumar has served as an inspiration for all the other sportsperson to do better.

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