BRONZE FOR BORGOHAIN

Grappler Ravi gets hold of India’s fourth medal

Tokyo: Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain

(69kg) signed off with a bronze medal in her debut Olympic Games after a comprehensive

0-5 loss to reigning world champion Busenaz Surmeneli.

Chiba (Japan), Aug. 4: Ravi Dahiya on Wednesday became only the second Indian wrestler to qualify for the title clash at the Olympic Games, when he sensationally turned around the 57kg semifinal bout by pinning Kazakhstan’s Nurislam Sanayev but Deepak Punia was left to fight for bronze medal after he lost his semifinal, here on Wednesday.

Before Dahiya, Sushil

Kumar was the only

Indian to make the gold medal bout at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Dahiya trailed 2-9 after Sanayev effected a few ‘fitley’ (leg lace) but as the clocked ticked away, Dahiya regrouped and got hold of his rival with a double leg attack that resulted in a ‘victory by fall’.

“I still have some unfinished business to do. I came with a target here and that is not complete yet (winning gold),” Dahiya said.

It was also known that Dahiya endured a painful bite on his biceps from opponent Nurislam Sanayev but the in-form wrestler is perfectly fine and raring to go for the final.

“It was paining when Ravi returned from the mat but he was given an ice-pack and he is fine. The pain has subsided. He is fit for final, no problem at all,” a member of the Indian wrestling team’s support staff said.

In the final on Thursday, Dahiya will face reigning world champion Russian Zavur Uguev. Anshu Malik, on the other hand, lost her opening 57kg bout to European champion Irina Kurachikina but since the Belarus wrestler has reached the final, the 19-year old Indian has got a second chance to be in medal round. —

TOP THROW: Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian javelin thrower to enter the finals of the Olympic Games with a stunning throw of 86.65 metres in his opening attempt that put him on top of the qualification round. The finals will be held on Saturday.

GET A GRIP: Wrestler Ravi Dahiya (left) turned the tables on his opponent after trailing badly to win the 57kg semifinal botu and assure India of a fourth medal from the Tokyo Olympics.

— AFP India’s Ravi Dahiya (right) wrestles with Bulgaria’s Georgi Valentinov Vangelov in their men’s freestyle 57kg wrestling quarterfinal match at the Makuhari Messe in Tokyo on Wednesday.