Maken lauds Yogeshwar bronze at Olympics

New Delhi: Sports Minister Ajay Maken heaped praise on wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt for clinching a bronze medal at the London Olympics, saying the unassuming grappler deserved the feat.

"`the hardest worker... the nicest guy... no one deserves it more` True for Yogeshwar, he deserved it!" Maken wrote on Twitter after the wrestler had fought his way to the 60kg freestyle bronze in the British capital yesterday.

"5 Medals in 4 Sports; another 6 or 7 could have just made it;with Sushil Kumar yet to come;this is India`s springboard & bestever Olympics!" he added.

The 29-year-old Yogeshwar, who also injured his eye during the bouts, displayed stupendous power and stamina right through the day before prevailing over North Korea`s Ri Jong Myong 3-1 in the third round of repechage. He thus became the third Indian to win an Olympic medal in wrestling after K D Jadhav (1952) and Sushil Kumar (2008).

Cricketer Ajinkya Rahane also lauded Yogeshwar`s feat. "Well done Yogeshwar Dutt..u made us all proud..," he wrote on Twitter.

In the third and final round against Myong, Yogeshwar pulled off a stunning `fitele`, a term used by wrestlers when they twirl their opponent on their back a few times with great speed, to score match-winning six technical points. It was a fitting finale to a day in which his fitness and grit came through brightly.