MUMBAI: From the mud pit of Jogeshwari to the wrestling ring of London Olympics, it has been a dream that Narsingh Yadav has been living as he grappled his way to the greatest sporting extravaganza. So, when the 24-year-old Mumbai 'pehelwan', one of the contenders in the 74kg freestyle event, gets into the ring on August 10 for an Olympic medal, it would be for the match of his lifetime. He already has the Commonwealth and Asian Games gold medals in his kitty. Currently training in Belarus, Narsingh will be taking on the finest wrestlers from 20 countries in a battle of brain versus brawn.
Back at Yadav Nagar slum, his family home overlooks cattlesheds of Jogeshwari and it is from here that his father delivers milk to the neighbouring Lokhandwala complex. It is located atop Bandivli Hill, at the centre of a colony whose settlers arrived from Uttar Pradesh many years ago. His brother Vinod, also a wrestler, lives here with wife Sadhana.
Visible signs of opulence distinguish this from the other houses in the locality. The walls are tiled to the roof, the furniture stylish and the decor ornate. However, success has driven a sense of ennui into the family. Visitors are not welcome, even on the eve of the start of the Olympic Games. Narsingh's sister-in-law Sadhana curtly dismisses the odd reporter at the doorstep.
But his coach Jagmal Singh is more forthcoming as he hopes that his ward will do the country proud. "We do not know who will be his opponent until the pool is announced. I am hoping it will not include wrestlers from Iran and Russia. For, these are formidable fighters," he says.
Narsingh has trained with him since he was 12 years old and even lives at the Sports Authority of India ( SAI) hostel in Kandivli (E). He would practice for two-and-a-half hours every morning and evening, fortifying himself with a wrestler's diet comprising protein supplements, juices and nuts. The vegetarian lad has taken to consuming eggs in recent years in order to keep up with the competition.
Jagmal Singh was unable to travel to London given that two other trainers were selected. "Had I been there, I would have motivated him and also monitored his diet. I would never allow him to drink from an open bottle or accept food from others lest it be spiked or doped," he says.
But he travelled to Delhi to meet Narsingh on July 19 and saw him off on July 23 when the wrestler left for Belarus. "He is there now and will leave for London once his bout is announced. It is merely an hour-and-a-half away," Singh says.
Back at Yadav Nagar slum, his family home overlooks cattlesheds of Jogeshwari and it is from here that his father delivers milk to the neighbouring Lokhandwala complex. It is located atop Bandivli Hill, at the centre of a colony whose settlers arrived from Uttar Pradesh many years ago. His brother Vinod, also a wrestler, lives here with wife Sadhana.
Visible signs of opulence distinguish this from the other houses in the locality. The walls are tiled to the roof, the furniture stylish and the decor ornate. However, success has driven a sense of ennui into the family. Visitors are not welcome, even on the eve of the start of the Olympic Games. Narsingh's sister-in-law Sadhana curtly dismisses the odd reporter at the doorstep.
But his coach Jagmal Singh is more forthcoming as he hopes that his ward will do the country proud. "We do not know who will be his opponent until the pool is announced. I am hoping it will not include wrestlers from Iran and Russia. For, these are formidable fighters," he says.
Narsingh has trained with him since he was 12 years old and even lives at the Sports Authority of India ( SAI) hostel in Kandivli (E). He would practice for two-and-a-half hours every morning and evening, fortifying himself with a wrestler's diet comprising protein supplements, juices and nuts. The vegetarian lad has taken to consuming eggs in recent years in order to keep up with the competition.
Jagmal Singh was unable to travel to London given that two other trainers were selected. "Had I been there, I would have motivated him and also monitored his diet. I would never allow him to drink from an open bottle or accept food from others lest it be spiked or doped," he says.
But he travelled to Delhi to meet Narsingh on July 19 and saw him off on July 23 when the wrestler left for Belarus. "He is there now and will leave for London once his bout is announced. It is merely an hour-and-a-half away," Singh says.
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