Asian Games 2018 | Sushil Kumar asserts on fighting back after first round exit

Sushil came into the Asian Games after losing his first bout in four years at Tbilisi Grand Prix in Georgia last month. The two-time Olympic medallist’s poor form continued as he suffered an upsetting 3-5 loss in the first qualification round bout against Bahrain’s Adam Batirov in the men’s 74kg category in Indonesia. But the 35-year-old said he was determined to make a strong comeback after the unexpected defeat. He accepted the loss in a positive manner and felt it was important not to be overwhelmed by defeats or victories.

“The defeat was not expected. The 57 kg World Champion was sitting beside me after a loss. I told him not to worry as it is a part and parcel of sports. I will come back again. We can’t be overwhelmed by defeats or victories. It won’t lead you anywhere,” Sushil told reporters.

His form was in question leading to the Asiad and his exemption from the trials was not appreciated by many. Sushil lost steam against Batirov in the second period. He was trailing but neither he had the energy nor the power to turn the tables on his rival. When asked about his poor stamina, he immediately disagreed and said he would have lost the match earlier.

“No, if I was losing stamina, I would not have lasted full time. I would have been defeated earlier. I was not passive. I am enjoying my game, I am not tired,” he added.

Sushil further revealed that he was not aggressive enough in his bout but he defended his tactics. However, he felt that playing a competitive tournament after four years made the difference.

“It was not a slow start. If I am leading, I can’t attack much. I made mistake by attacking him later on when I just needed to defend. I am playing a big event after four years, that is why there were small mistakes,” Sushil said.

With World Championships approaching, the veteran concluded by saying that he is not sure about training in Georgia.

“The Asian Games is like World Championships. Olympic champions are from Asia. I am not sure if I will go to Georgia for training or not,” he concluded.