Sandeep Kumar’s dream of winning a medal for his adopted country remained unrealised with the Delhi-born Melbourne cabbie losing his repechage round battle in the 84kg freestyle event of the Beijing Olympics here Thursday.

Sandeep, who had Daleep Singh — known in the WWF circle as ‘The Great Khali’ — as his colleague in his Punjab Police days, lost his first round bout against Yusup Abdusalomov. But with the world number two grappler from Tajikistan reaching the final, the repechage door opened for the 25-year-old.

Sandeep got a bye in the repechage round one before running into Ukrainian Taras Danko, who thwarted his medal bid by beating him in the second round.

Sandeep drove his taxi five days a week while juggling his job and passion together before heading to Beijing. Sandeep’s regular routine has him driving his taxi 10 hours a day before rushing for a two-hour practice in the evening six days a week.

With his wrestling career going nowhere in India, Sandeep visited Australia on coach Kuldip Singh Bassi’s advice before returning home after an eight-month stint at Melbourne’s United Wrestling Club.

He returned to Australia in 2004 and gained the citizenship there three years later before making his debut for his adopted country at the World Championship. Sandeep’s exit also marks the end of Australia’s wrestling campaign in Beijing.