Though his early days did not see much expense, Sushil's adult years were hard on the family's pocket.
"All of Sushil's expenses came to some Rs 17,000 a month. That was almost close to how much the family earned from Diwan Singh's job as a driver at MTNL and through some land he owned.
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"Though we were poor, his father ensured that everything was smooth," said his mother, Kamala Devi.
The day he won the bronze, the whole village was in Sushil's house, glued to the two television sets at home; the women in one room and the men in the other.
"The loudest cheers came from our room. The men just went speechless after he won," Devi said.
Has she been at the venue for any of her son's bouts?
"No. According to out village custom, women are not supposed to go out. But I have seen all of his international events that were televised," she said, her face lighting up.
Amputee Du Toit inspires all
"But, again, I don't know much about the sport. I can figure out he is winning by his body language and when the referee confirms it. "
Then, she fills out on anything her husband may have missed.
"Did they tell you he was good at studies too? He was ranked first in the school till fifth before wrestling became the first thing on his mind. And he is very matured. When relatives brought up the marriage topic, he politely explained to them saying that one becomes a complete wrestler only between 25 and 30. ‘I am only 25 now. So this is the period when I will peak. We can think of marriage a bit later,'."
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