Subdued excitement shrouds Chhatrasal as Sushil gets bail

In the dusty precincts of Chhatrasal Stadium, they mention Sushil Kumar's name with reverence, even as the disgraced two-time Olympic medallist's reputation has been tarnished by his arrest in a murder case.

- Shantanu Srivastava and Shruti Kakkar

So, when Chattrasal's most famous son was granted bail after 20 months -he was given a week's bail for a knee surgery in July 2023-on Tuesday, the news was expectedly met with delight, albeit subdued.

In the pre-Covid years before the wrestling hall was moved to the dank basement, the spacious, skeletal room on the ground floor served as Sushil's training ground. When in the mood, pehelwanji, as he was known, would toss around wrestlers for fun, pulling off one move after another, churning out one gruelling round after another as hordes of wide-eyed trainees watched.

In his three-and-a-half year absence from India's greatest wrestling nursery -- he was serving time in Tihar jail over charges of murdering fellow wrestler Sagar Dhankar over an alleged property dispute -- a giant frame of Sushil receiving his Khel Ratna award continued to occupy pride of place. Generations of youngsters have drawn inspiration from the legendary wrestler, hanging on to his every word, trying hard to earn his approval.