Satpal Singh

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Satpal Singh

| image = Satpal Singh receives Dronacharya Award in 2009.jpg

| caption = Singh receiving Dronacharya Award in 2009

| nationality = Indian

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1955|2|1}}

| birth_place = Delhi, India

| height = {{convert|182|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}

| country = India

| sport = Wrestling

| event = 82 & 100 kg freestyle

| club = Guru Hanuman Akhara

| coach = Guru Hanuman (Daronacharya awardee)

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{IND}} }}

| show-medals = true

| updated = 5 December 2014

}}

Satpal Singh (born 1 February 1955), also known as Guru Satpal, is a wrestling coach and former wrestler of India. He was a gold medalist in 1982 Asian Games and a bronze medalist in 1974 Asian Games. Today he is better known as the coach of Olympic medal winners Sushil Kumar and Ravi Kumar Dahiya.{{cite news | url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/life-in-satpals-akhada-early-mornings-and/353170 | title=Life in Satpal's akhada: Early mornings and lots of ghee | newspaper=Indian Express | date=26 August 2008 | first=Shreya | last=Chakravertty | access-date=18 December 2018 }}{{Cite web|last=Amsan|first=Andrew|date=2021-08-05|title=How Chhatrasal stadium and coach Satpal shaped Ravi Dahiya|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/olympics/how-chhatrasal-stadium-and-coach-satpal-shaped-ravi-dahiya-7438832/|access-date=2021-08-05|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}

He was awarded Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award of India, in 2015.

Biography

Chaudhary Satpal Singh Sehrawat was born on 1 February 1955 in Bawana village in a Jat family in Delhi. He was coached by the famous wrestling coach Guru Hanuman at Hanuman Akhara, Delhi.{{cite web | title = Guru Hanuman Akhara chosen for the 2014 Rashtritya Khel Protsahan Puraskar| url = http://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs/guru-hanuman-akhara-chosen-for-2014-rashtritya-khel-protsahan-puraskar-1408709497-1 |work=Jargran Josh|date= 22 August 2014|access-date = 2014-11-20}} He was Indian national champion for 16 years.

He achieved international success at commonwealth games winning 3 silver medals in 1974, 1978 and 1982 commonwealth games. In Asian Games too, he improved his performance at successive games, winning a bronze in 1974, a silver in 1978 and peaked with a gold in 1982.{{cite web |title=Satpal Singh – the legendary wrestling coach who mentored Olympic champions |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/who-is-satpal-singh-indian-wrestling-coach |website=International Olympic Committee |date=2022-05-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921213128/https://olympics.com/en/news/who-is-satpal-singh-indian-wrestling-coach |archive-date=2022-09-21 |url-status=live |last1=Nag |first1=Utathya}}

Satpal was also good in traditional kushti. He won several titles like Bharat Kumar (1973), Rustom-e-Hind (1974 and 1975), Bharat Kesari (1975), Rustom-e-Bharat (1975), Maha Bharat Kesari (1976), Mahan Bharat Kesari (1976), Rustom-e-Zaman (1976), Hind Kesari (1977), Bharat Shri (1978) and Bharat Balram (1979).

Satpal now works as assistant director of Education, Delhi. He is also the Chief Patron of the School Games Federation of India. He runs an Akhada for coaching wrestling with fellow coach Virender Singh from 1988 in Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi. He trained two time Olympic medal winner, Sushil Kumar for the Beijing Olympics 2008 and London Olympics 2012.

He was awarded Dronacharya Award in 2009 by the Indian Government. He was earlier conferred the Arjuna Award in 1974 and the Padma Shri in 1983.{{cite web|title = Padma Shri Awardees|url = http://india.gov.in/myindia/padmashri_awards_list1.php?start=1120|access-date = 2009-07-30|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120229165711/http://india.gov.in/myindia/padmashri_awards_list1.php?start=1120|archive-date = 29 February 2012|url-status = dead|df = dmy-all}} He was the chief guest in Senior National T-10 Leg-cricket championship 2012 organised by Leg Cricket Federation of India at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Delhi.

Awards and achievements

1974:Arjun Award (Wrestling)
1983:Padma Shri
2009:Dronacharya Award
National Heavyweight Champion 16 times.
2015: Padma Bhushan{{cite web|title=Padma Awards 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128022143/http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=114952 |url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=114952 |publisher=Press Information Bureau |access-date=25 January 2015 |archive-date=28 January 2015 |url-status=dead }}