New Delhi: Despite a disappointing show from Indian wrestlers at the recently concluded 2016 Rio Olympics, junior grapplers continue to make the country proud.
India have managed to win six medals at the ongoing World Cadet Wrestling championships at the Georgian capital city Tbilisi.
But the story which will keep everyone happy, is the one about Deepak Punia. He won the gold medal in 85 kg freestyle category to become the only the third Indian junior wrestling world champion.
What makes his story so motivating is that only last month the 17-year-old promised his father to win a medal after returning empty-handed from the junior world championships in France.
According to a report in The Indian Express, the young wrestler was denied cow's milk — his favourite drink – by his father after the world championships failure.
“I wanted cow’s milk. I love cow’s milk because it gives me the strength to wrestle. I told my father that I won’t return empty handed and he has to give me the milk,” Punia reported said.
He defeated wrestlers from Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, USA and Turkey to be ultimately crowned as the world champion.
The Haryana boy has benn winning medals since the age of seven, including a gold in the junior Asian championships and silver at the cadet Asian championships the same year.
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