New Delhi, Sep 25 - For wrestler Ramesh Kumar it has not yet sunk in that he has won a World Championship medal, the first by an Indian for 42 years. He never thought he would some day win a bronze after a knee injury almost forced him to quit the sport seven years ago.

On returning home Friday, a proud Ramesh told IANS that after the match it took some time for him to realise that he had won a World Championship medal.

'At one stage I thought of giving up the sport because of the injury. But now I feel how stupid of me to think like that. I had worked hard for the gold medal but unfortunately had to settle for the bronze. I am still happy with it,' he said.

Ramesh gratefully remembers former sports minister Uma Bharati, for financially helping him, and sports medicine specialist Anant Joshi, famous for treating cricket injuries, for mending his knee.

Having done all the hard work, the Haryana wrestler did not want to squander the opportunity of winning a medal at the world Championships at Herning in Denmark.