Palwinder Singh Cheema

{{short description|Indian freestyle wrestler}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}

{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}

{{Infobox sport wrestler

| name = Palwinder Singh Cheema

| image =

| imagesize =

| caption =

| fullname = Palwinder Singh Cheema

| nationality = {{IND}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|11|11|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Patiala, Punjab, India

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{height|m=1.95|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|120|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}

| website =

| country =

| style = Freestyle

| club = NIS Patiala

| coach = Sukhchain Cheema

| medaltemplates=

{{MedalSport | Men's freestyle wrestling}}

{{MedalCountry|{{IND}}}}

{{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}}

{{MedalGold|2002 Manchester|120 kg}}

{{MedalCompetition|Asian Games}}

{{MedalBronze|2002 Busan|120 kg}}

{{MedalBronze|2006 Doha|120 kg}}

{{MedalCompetition|Asian Championships}}

{{MedalSilver|2003 Delhi|120 kg}}

{{MedalSilver|2004 Tehran|120 kg}}

{{MedalBronze|2005 Wuhan|120 kg}}

{{MedalBronze|2007 Bishkek|120 kg}}

| show-medals = yes

}}

Palwinder Singh Cheema (born 11 November 1982 in Patiala, Punjab) is a retired amateur Indian freestyle wrestler, who competed in the men's super heavyweight category.{{cite sports-reference|title = Palwinder Singh Cheema|url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/si/palwinder-singh-cheema-1.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418120929/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/si/palwinder-singh-cheema-1.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = 18 April 2020|access-date = 8 July 2014}} Considered one of India's top wrestlers in his decade, Cheema has claimed the gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England, scored two bronze in the 120-kg division at the Asian Games (2002 and 2006), and also represented his nation India at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Throughout his sporting career, Cheema trained full-time for NIS Patiala Wrestling Club under his coach and father Sukhchain Singh Cheema.{{cite news|last=Singh|first=Jangveer|title=Two Rustam-e-Hind in a family|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20031115/windows/main2.htm|newspaper=The Tribune|location=Chandigarh|date=15 November 2003|accessdate=8 July 2014}}

Cheema reached sporting headlines at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England, where he grappled his way over Canada's Eric Kirschner to fetch the gold medal in the 120-kg division on technical superiority.{{cite news|title=Ugoalah takes gold|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/commonwealthgames2002/hi/other_sports/wrestling/newsid_2170000/2170411.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|date=3 August 2002|accessdate=8 July 2014}}{{cite news|title=India end third in overall medals tally|url=http://www.rediff.com/sports/2002/aug/04ind.htm|work=Rediff.com|date=5 August 2002|accessdate=8 July 2014}} Following his immediate sporting success, Cheema went on to pick up a bronze at the Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, and silver at the Asian Championships in his native Delhi by the following year.{{cite news|title=Palwinder bags bronze|url=http://hindu.com/2002/10/08/stories/2002100805482000.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714142322/http://hindu.com/2002/10/08/stories/2002100805482000.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 July 2014|newspaper=The Hindu|date=8 October 2002|accessdate=8 July 2014}}

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Cheema qualified for his first Indian squad, as a 21-year-old, in the men's 120 kg class. Earlier in the process, he placed second at the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria, and guaranteed a spot on the Indian wrestling team by winning his second silver from the Asian Championships in Tehran, Iran.{{cite news|last=Abbott|first=Gary|title=Olympic Games preview at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. in men's freestyle|url=http://www.themat.com/section.php?section_id=3&page=showarticle&ArticleID=10352|work=USA Wrestling|publisher=The Mat|date=29 July 2004|accessdate=6 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606222350/http://www.themat.com/section.php?section_id=3&page=showarticle&ArticleID=10352|archive-date=6 June 2014|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|title=Six Indian wrestlers qualify for Athens|url=http://www.rediff.com/sports/2004/feb/15wrest.htm|work=Rediff.com|date=15 February 2004|accessdate=8 July 2014}} He lost two straight matches each to eventual Olympic champion Artur Taymazov of Uzbekistan on technical superiority, and four-time Olympian Marek Garmulewicz of Poland (4–6), leaving him on the bottom of the prelim pool and placing fifteenth in the final standings.{{cite web|title=Wrestling: Men's Freestyle 120kg|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/wrestling/results/3532672.stm|work=Athens 2004|publisher=BBC Sport|date=15 August 2004|accessdate=23 September 2013}}{{cite news|title=Ramesh Kumar wins but fails to advance|url=http://www.indiaabroad.com/sports/2004/aug/27oly-wres.htm|work=Rediff.com|date=27 August 2004|accessdate=7 July 2014}}

At the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, Cheema campaigned for his bronze medal defense over fancied Kazakh wrestler Marid Mutalimov in the 120-kg division.{{cite news|title=Kumar, Cheema win bronze medals|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-sports/kumar-cheema-win-bronze-medals/article3034007.ece|newspaper=The Hindu|date=15 December 2006|accessdate=8 July 2014}} In 2007, Cheema bid his early retirement from wrestling at the age of 24, capping off his career with a remarkable tally of seven medals (one gold, four silver, and two bronze).Also holds RUSTAM-E-HIND title.