Wrestling has been a part of human activity since the dawn of civilization, and even finds a mention in ancient scriptures like the Mahabharta and the Mesopotamian poem the Epic of Gilgamesh. The sport first became popular in Ancient Greece, and later, in Ceasar’s Rome. Since the start of the modern Olympic movement by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the sport has been included in every Summer Games save for two.

At the Commonwealth Games, however, the sport is an optional one and wasn’t included in three of the past five editions. Most ironically, the Australians, who were the dominant team in the initial editions, didn’t include it at the Melbourne Games in 2006.

Australian lightweight Dick Garrard was the most successful wrestler the nation ever produced and is one of a handful of grapplers to have won the CWG gold medal three times on the trot, achieving this feat after a debilitating road accident almost ended his career. Garrard won his first medal at the 1934 London Games. Two years later an automobile accident left him badly hurt, and even forced the doctor to say, “You will never wrestle again.”

One to take disappointment in his stride, Garrard worked his way back to fitness and embarked on one of the longest wrestling careers, winning his third gold medal at the age of 40 in 1950, after World War II robbed him of a chance to make it five on the trot. Paskistan’s Mohammed Bashir, one of only two athletes to win an individual Olympic medal for the nation, emulated Garrard’s feat with gold in 1958, 1962 and 1966. Bashir’s compatriots, Mohammad Akhtar and Faiz Mohammad also followed in his footsteps and won three gold medals apiece.

India have won 23 gold, 24 silver and 11 bronze medals, with the likes of legendary grapplers such as Bishambhar Singh, Uday Chand and Mukhtiar Singh, who won two straight gold medals, earning the nation glory.

With some of the most competitive wrestling nations such as the United States, Russia, Bulgaria, Iran and South Korea not there in the CWG, the Indians have made the most of it with a total of 58 medals.

“We tend to dominate Commonwealth competitions because other countries stronger than us are not a part of it. However, our wrestlers have been working very hard and we are making swift progress and can compete with most nations in the world,” said Wrestling Federation of India president G.S. Mander — a fact backed up by medals in all major championships the past three years, with Sushil winning the gold in this year’s World Championship in Moscow to go along with his Beijing Olympics bronze, and Ramesh Kumar’s bronze at last year’s World Championships in Herning, Denmark.

India’s best CWG outing was at the 1970 Edinburgh Games (5-3-1) and the 1974 Christchurch Games (4-5-1). Following six straight editions of securing at least one gold medal, India went 20 years without success before pocketing three at the Manchester Games in 2002.

Sushil is the face of India’s wrestling campaign this time around and India’s freestyle coach Jagminder Singh feels Sushil’s Olympic medal has proved to be a boon for the entire sport. “There were only a select few wrestling mats in India before Sushil’s bronze at the Olympics,” said Singh.

“Now, you will be hard-pressed to find a single akhara or club in India that does not have a mat along with the traditional mud pit.”

“The CWG could well be the turning point for the sport in India. I am confident that our team will win many medals, and raise the profile of the sport in the country. With world-class facilities now in place, India could enter the big league of wrestling,” concurred Sushil.