Sandeep Kumar drives a cab in Melbourne. No big deal. But what sets him apart is that he is Australia’s number one freestyle wrestler in the 84kg category.
In India for the Commonwealth Championships, the strongly built grappler says moving to Australia in 2004 helped him realise his dream of competing in the Olympics.
He donned the Australian colours in the 2008 Beijing Games and became the first Person of Indian Origin (PIO) to represent the country in wrestling in the quadrennial games.
“I’ve represented Australia in five major international tournaments, including the World Championships and the Beijing Games but I have never been deprived of my dues. The Australian wrestling fraternity was proud of me when I made it to the quarterfinals in Beijing,” says Sandeep, adding that he has never faced any discrimination whatsoever.
“I became Australia’s number one grappler in my category, surpassing all the wrestlers. But being a PIO was never an obstacle in my quest to reach the top,” says Sandeep who drives a taxi for livelihood and pursues wrestling in his spare time.
The 26-year-old, who hails from village Dhanana in Sonepat district, represented India in the Junior Asian Championships in 2000 and the International Children’s Games in Russia in 2003 before migrating to Australia.
{{/usCountry}}The 26-year-old, who hails from village Dhanana in Sonepat district, represented India in the Junior Asian Championships in 2000 and the International Children’s Games in Russia in 2003 before migrating to Australia.
{{/usCountry}}“In 2006, I got permanent residency and a few weeks before the Beijing Games I got Australian citizenship. Australia has given me a comfortable life and name in the world of wrestling,” says Sandeep, who will be competing on Sunday.
About the attacks on Indian students and cabbies Down Under, he says, “It’s not that the Australians target the Indians. It’s just that some anti-social elements attack us because of which the entire country gets a bad name.”
Kuldip Singh Bassi, the team manager, says, “It’s not that every time the Australians are to be blamed. Sometimes, the Indians are also on the wrong foot.
“Everybody likes Sandeep and the selection process is so transparent that he has never been ignored,” adds Bassi. Mehrdad Tarash, who won bronze for Australia in Graeco-Roman on Friday, says that Aussie wrestlers look up to Sandeep.