The 28-year-old, popularly known as "Goonga Pehelwan" or mute wrestler in the sport's circle, dreams of competing against able-bodied athletes at the next Summer Games and is now seeking Government assistance to help him reach his goal.

"I have won so many medals but the Government is still not supporting me which makes me really sad," Singh, who also has a gold medal from the 2005 Deaflympics in Melbourne, said through an interpreter.

"If it supports me, I will be more inspired and perform better."

Singh trains with wrestlers who can hear and speak at the Chhatrasal Stadium in New Delhi, but he has never fought an official tournament in India on a mat as no such competition provides a referee who will signal stops and starts by a tactile or visual clue instead of a whistle.

Singh, instead, competes in dangals - traditional wrestling competitions on mud.

Virender Singh trains alongside two-time Olympic medallist Sushil
Kumar (pictured) ©Getty Images



One athlete who believes Singh can succeed on the mat against other able-bodied competitors is his training partner, double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar.

"I used to wrestle with him when we were children, and I still train with him," Kumar said of Singh.

"As a wrestler he's up there with the best.

"He can take on anyone, it doesn't matter if they can hear and he can't."

In 2001, Singh came first in the trials for the World Cadet Wrestling Championships, however the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) decided not to send him because, according to Singh and his coaches, of his deafness.

"I learnt later that deaf athletes can take part in all games, including the Olympics," Singh explained.

"People with hearing loss are free to compete at the Olympics and in the 2012 London Games, there were three deaf athletes in the US contingent."

Singh still believes that his dream will one day become a reality and he will compete in an Olympic Games alongside those who can hear.

"I know in my heart that one day things will turn out to be better and I still carry that hope in me," he added.

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