'Angry' Sushil Kumar Pulls Out of Inaugural Pro Wrestling League

Sushil Kumar, double Olympic medallist, will not be part of the Pro-Wrestling League that starts in the national capital from Thursday. He was part of Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma co-owned Uttar Pradesh (UP) Warriors. (Rohit Sharma to Co-Own Pro Wrestling League Team Uttar Pradesh Warriors)

The 2012 London Olympics silver medallist was miffed with the way he was being treated when the league was announced. And some incidents, the latest being Bengaulru Franchise owner Parth Jindal's tweet on Wednesday, has only added to his ire. (Pro Wrestling League Will be Commercially Viable in Few Years: Bengaluru Franchise CEO)

I heard @WrestlerSushil has pulled out of the @Official_PWL - is that how scared you are of @BengaluruYodhas Narsingh, man up Sushil -fight

- Parth Jindal (@ParthJindal11) December 9, 2015

Sources close to the wrestler confirmed that the champion wrestler will not be part of the league. "His decision is final, he is out," a source close to Sushil, who did not want to be named, said. (Team Names for Pro-Wrestling League Announced)

Purevjavyn Onorbat from Mongolia has been lined up as Sushil's replacement in the UP team. Onorbat won silver at the 2015 World Championships, which was the same tournament where Narsingh Yadav won bronze and bagged the quota for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

"It is a fact that till today Sushil hasn't signed the contract papers with the UP team, there is no denying the fact that he may not be there. Although, I must tell you this that we haven't heard anything official from his side till yet," GS Mander, PWL governing council chairman told Hindustan Times.

"So because there is this possibility that he may not be there we have an able replacement in the 74 kg division ready as we wanted to be fair to the UP team. The Mongolian wrestler had won silver in 2015 world championships. He will be big competition for Narsingh in the 74 weight category."

Wrestling Federation of India and Pro Sportify, the commercial rights holder of the league, were confident that Sushil, who was the icon player for the UP Warriors, will be ready for the league even as Sushil had given ample signals that he wasn't happy with the state of affairs.

Starting with the auction process, Sushil had made his views known that as an icon player he wasn't comfortable with the idea of going under the hammer as an item.

After the auction where Ukraine's female wrestler Oksana Herhel was the costliest grappler after she was bought for Rs 41.3 lakh, which was three lakh more than Sushil, rumour mills went overboard that the champion was hurt.

His team UP Warriors then announced that Sushil will get more - Rs 11 lakh as a token of respect. The announcement sort of confirmed that Sushil was given more money to soothe his ego. Sushil told Hindustan Times last month: "I have never played for money so I don't know why someone has this view. I will donate the money I will get from the league to charity. By the grace of God I have everything, I don't need money."