“Wrestling matches in the mud can go on for an hour or two. It’s much slower. Now, all international meets are on mats, and that is far more technical. There are proper costumes, shoes and you get points. You are given warnings. There are a lot more rules,” he says.

After the medal was won, says Satpal, he has been getting calls from all over India. “Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Punjab — there are so many who want me to take them into my akhada. The phone has not stopped ringing. But my aim now is to make sure we win 18 out of 21 golds at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.”

Satpal’s akhada continues to stand tall and, even in the face of changing times, little recognition and scarce facilities, they have a rare Olympic medal to call their own.