Wrestler Sushil Kumar feels pain participating as an independent athlete

Sushil Kumar will take part in the World Wrestling Championships in Budapest as an Indian athlete (Getty Images)

Double Olympic medal winner Sushil Kumar is set to make a comeback to action at the Budapest World Championships starting next week.

The World Championships are scheduled to begin on September 16 and Sushil is slated to feature in Hungary after having been off the circuit for almost a year due to an injury.

Sushil, who has not taken part in any events since his silver medal winning campaign at last year’s Olympics in London will participate in the World Championships as an independent athlete due to the Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) suspension from the International Olympic movement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

And Sushil expressed his pain at having to undergo such a moment, reports Mid Day.

“This is the first time that I will be participating as an independent athlete. It will be a strange feeling to be competing knowing that even if I win, the national anthem will not play at the stadium. We athletes play for the country and winning medals as independent athletes will take away some sheen from the victory,” Sushil said.

A point of much pleasure for Sushil though, was the re-entry of wrestling into the fold at the 2020 Olympics. The whole Indian wrestling community has in fact been in buoyant mood after the announcement came through this past Sunday.

“The kids training at akharas with an eye on the 2020 Games are very happy with the sport’s return to the Olympic fold. Until now, they were practicing with doubt in their minds, but not anymore. The news has also given a boost to the wrestlers who are training for the World Championships in Budapest right now,” added Sushil.

Sushil won silver at the 2012 London Olympics, going one better than at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he won bronze.