There is nothing to prove anymore but quite a bit left to achieve, says India's most decorated wrestler Sushil Kumar, who considers next month's Commonwealth Games (CWG) the first step towards accomplishing his "unfulfilled dream” of a third Olympic medal. A two-time defending champion at the Commonwealth Games, who has an Olympic bronze and silver to his credit, feels competing in Gold Coast would prolong his career. The 66kg freestyle grappler expects to get a fair idea of where he stands at the international stage when he takes the mat in the CWG.

"Since I started wrestling my only aim was to represent the country and do well for it. I have always given my 100 per cent on the mat whenever I was fit. I can't change people's mindset. I have nothing to prove to anyone," said Sushil.

At 34, his critics might be writing him off but Sushil feels a wrestler can continue at the international stage till 40 provided he takes good care of his body. "I feel a wrestler can continue till 40 if he can maintain his body. Everything depends on the individual and his lifestyle," said Sushil.

The tinge of bitterness in that statement is due to the selection controversies he has found himself. The most prominent was before the 2016 Olympics, where Narsingh Yadav, eventually suspended for failing a dope test, was preferred over him without a formal trial. It denied him a shot at what could have been a third successive Olympic medal. He was picked for Gold Coast after an ugly trial where his supporters and those of his rival Parveen Rana came to blows over which of the two deserved to be selected.