Sushil Kumar's Olympic bronze medal may have come as a pleasant surprise to his countrymen but the Delhi wrestler says he did not emerge out of the blue and walked away with the glory.
"Probably you may say that there was no expectation from the people back home and the media too. But me and my coach (Satpal) always knew I had a fair chance of winning a medal and I'm happy I could achieve that," a beaming Sushil told reporters at the China Agricultural University in Beijing.
"While it is good not to have that burden of expectation on your shoulder, I think we can give even more provided we get better facilities," said the wrestler, taking the occasion to make a point.
"I want to dedicate this medal to my coach Satpal," said Sushil who is the current world number seven.
Sushil's pursuit for the glory paid off after he had competed as the world number four in Athens Games but was forgotten since then.