Could have won gold from other draw: Yogeshwar Dutt

New Delhi - India’s Olympic bronze medallist wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt said on Wednesday that he could have won the gold had he been placed in the other half of the men’s 60kg freestyle wrestling draw.

“My group was a tough one. There were Olympic and World Champions in my group. If I would have been in some other group I could have won the gold. I lost my pre-quarterfinal bout to Russia’ Besik Kudukhov, who is the current World Champion and Beijing Games bronze medallist,” said Dutt at his felicitation programme by Mittal Champions Trust.

The 29-year-old said that he was hungry to win the metal which was missing from his kitty.

“The four year wait from Beijing to London was a long one and I was desperate and hungry to win the medal. My main aim was to bring a medal for the country for which Mittal Champions Trust helped me a lot.

“I want to thank Mittal Champions Trust. They helped me when I was injured providing funds for my leg surgery in South Africa where I spent six months recovering.”

Yogeshwar said he is now determined to change the colour of his medal in the next edition in 2016.

“I am 29, I am still fit to go. I am determined to win the gold in Rio,” he said.