Yogeshwar's parents wanted him to become a teacher

BHAINSWAN (SONIPAT): Wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, who won a bronze medal at the London Olympics on Saturday, would have been a schoolteacher like his grandfather, parents and younger brother, had he not been a successful grappler. His grandfather Rati Ram, father Ram Mehar and mother Sushila Devi were all teachers. Keeping the family tradition, his younger brother Mukesh too joined the teaching profession recently.
Yogeshwar, thankfully, became the master of the mat. "I didn't like him to waste time in akhara. But it seems he had set his target in childhood itself. He also did well in studies to satisfy me but did not move away from akhara," Sushila Devi said.
His first coach Satbir Singh also forced her to keep sending him to akhara. "I realised that he could have a bright future in wrestling when he brought home a wall clock as a class 5 student in 1992 after winning a school championship. After that his father encouraged him to take wrestling as a serious business and took care of his diet. He used to grind almonds for him daily in the morning," said the proud mother.
Yogeshwar won the gold in the international school cadet games in Poland in 1994. "Two years later, he wanted to shift to Chhatrasal stadium in Delhi. His father used to send five litre milk daily for him at the stadium and also desi ghee. Yogeshwar felt encouraged and began concentrating even more on wrestling. He later completed his graduation just to satisfy me."
Yogeshwar suffered a setback when his father died in 2006, just three days before his bout at Doha Asiad. "He was in a state of mourning. But still returned with the bronze medal. His father had a dream of him winning an Olympic medal. I am happy that he fulfilled that dream," Sushila Devi said.
Marriage on the cards?
Yogeshwar's family wants him to get married. "The Olympic medal is a tribute to his father. Now, it's his turn to fulfil my wish - to bring home a bahu," said his mother. "I want him to tie the knot and settle down. I have no objection in him continuing the game, but first he will have to get married," Sushila stressed. "He is 29 now and I can't wait any longer."