Anil Kumar (born 1971) is an Indian wrestler. He is recorded in public knowledge bases as a sportsperson from India who has competed in wrestling, one of the country's traditional and most decorated sporting disciplines.
Key facts
| Name | Anil Kumar |
|---|---|
| Year of birth | 1971 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Sport | Wrestling |
Background
Wrestling, known in its traditional Indian form as kushti or pehlwani, has long been one of India's most prominent sports, practised in akharas across the northern and western states, particularly Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Maharashtra. In the modern era, Indian wrestlers compete on mats in the freestyle and Greco-Roman styles standardised by United World Wrestling (formerly FILA), and are governed nationally by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
Anil Kumar is among several Indian wrestlers of the same name active across different decades and weight categories. The 1971-born wrestler is identified separately in biographical databases to distinguish him from later athletes who share the name.
Significance
Wrestlers from his generation contributed to the foundation on which India's later international successes in the sport were built, including Olympic and Commonwealth Games medals from the 2000s onward. Athletes who competed in domestic and regional tournaments during the 1990s formed part of the talent pipeline that the Sports Authority of India and the Wrestling Federation of India sought to develop in subsequent years.
Related topics
- Wrestling in India
- Wrestling Federation of India
- Pehlwani
- Sports Authority of India
- List of Indian wrestlers
References
- Wikidata entry: Q21531064