Gill promises Rs 10 lakh to Sushil, hopes for CWG medal

Sports Minister M S Gill announced a cash award of Rs 10 lakh for World Championship gold medallist wrestler Sushil Kumar and hoped the grappler will continue with his fine form in next month`s Commonwealth Games as well.

New Delhi: Sports Minister M S Gill on Tuesday announced a cash award of Rs 10 lakh for World Championship

gold medallist wrestler Sushil Kumar and hoped the grappler will continue with his fine form in next month`s Commonwealth Games as well. Gill promised the reward to Sushil, who is the first Indian wrestler to achieve the feat, when he met the Minister at his residence here. "Sushil has got a rare success in wrestling and we will give him Rs 10 lakh for this. I am very happy that Sushil has bagged the honour," Gill said after meeting Sushil, also a Beijing Olympics bronze medallist. "I am watching this guy for some time now, he is quite hardworking and dedicated. I hope he will also win a medal in the Delhi Commonwealth Games next month," Gill told reporters. During his visit, Sushil showed him the medal he bagged in Moscow on Sunday breaking an almost six-decade-old jinx for the Indians, to Gill while the Minister also asked about his experience in the Championship. "I am happy to win this medal. I had to survive some stiff competition there and now I am confident of doing well in the Commonwealth Games as well," said Sushil, who overcame local favourite Gogaev Alan 3-1 in the final. Asked about the recent doping scandals, Sushil said he is well aware about what medicines he can consume. "SAI has given a booklet and I always carry that. I am aware of the medicines I should use. It is important because sometimes you fall ill during a competition, in that case you have to recover as fast as possible," said Sushil. He had defeated Azerbaijan`s Hasanov Jabrayil in the semifinal of the 66kg free style category in Moscow. After getting a bye in the first round, he beat Akritidis of Greece, Martin Sebastian of Germany and Buyan Jav of Mongolia en route to the summit stage. PTI