Sushil wins gold at Commonwealth wrestling

Johannesburg, Dec 18 : Indian star Sushil Kumar made his return to international wrestling a memorable one, outclassing Akash Khullar of New Zealand in the final of the men's 74 kilogram freestyle category to clinch gold at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship here on Sunday.

Sushil gave his opponent virtually no chance in the title clash, carving out an easy 6-0 victory. The double Olympic medallist thus clinched his fifth title at the Commonwealth level.

"It's a very proud and emotional moment for me as I have returned to the mat on international level after a gap of 3 years. I want to dedicate this Gold medal won in #Commonwealthwrestlingchampionship at #SouthAfrica to my guru and to my Nation. JaiHind," Sushil later wrote on his official Twitter handle along with a photo of the national flag.

Emerging Indian star Parveen Rana got the bronze in the 74kg category, beating Johannes Petrus Botha of South Africa in the play-off for the third place.

Sushil started his campaign with an easy 8-0 win over Botha. In the second round, Sushil overpowered Jasmit Singh Phulka of Canada 9-1 before defeating Rana 5-4 in a thrilling contest.