HARYANA’S PUNIA STRIKES GOLD
NERVES OF STEEL Wrestler shows great technique to defeat Japan’s Takatani in final, Sushil falters in Rd 1
Bajrang Punia carries the Tricolour after winning the men’s freestyle wrestling (65kg) final against Japan’s Daichi Takatani at the Asian Games in Jakarta on Sunday.
JAKARTA:On Sunday, when young wrestler Bajrang Punia fetched India their first gold at the 2018 Asian Games, pre-Games favourite and two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar bowed out in the opening round. Two other free style wrestlers – Mausam Khatri and Sandeep Tomar —too followed suit.
Fresh from his gold medal at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games earlier this year, silver medallist at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, Bajrang was ruthless in all but three bouts before outsmarting Japan’s Takatani Daichi 11-8 in a thrilling final to bring smiles on the faces of Indian crowd here. “I was dreaming of this medal since I made it to Jakarta for the Games,” Bajrang said. “I am happy that I could live up to the expectations of people. It’s a dream come true,” he added.
This was Bajrang’s first gold in the Asian Games and it takes the 24-year-old’s international medals tally to 13, including five gold. Bajrang, a prodigy of London Olympics bronze medallist Yogeshwar Dutt, began his final in style, pushing Daichi twice before flooring him to take a twopoint lead. He continued his attacks and took a 6-0 lead.
But Daichi, who had defeated Bajrang in the quarter-final of the 2018 Asian Championships, fought back earning his first two points by pushing Bajrang out of the mat. Daichi showed excellent speed and kept getting hold of Bajrang’s legs repeatedly and though the Indian was astute in defence, the Japanese kept reducing the margin and caught up with the Indian at 6-6. With 22 seconds to go and the wrestlers locked at 8-8, Bajrang managed to get hold of Daichi in a tight situation, securing a two pointer to emerge victorious. Daichi’s effort in the dying seconds failed to bear fruit and Bajrang won another point.
Bajrang got a bye in the first round. He then crushed Uzbekistan’s Sirojiddin Khasanov 13-3 and then beat Abdul Qosimfayziev of Tajikistan 12-2 in the quarterfinal. In the semi-final, he beat Magolian Batmagnai Batchuluun
10-0 proving his dominance.
SUSHIL’S EXIT
Sushil’s early exit remained the day’s biggest disappointment for his travelling supporters. The ageing poster boy of Indian wrestling looked rusty in his 3-5 loss to Bahrain’s Adam Batirov in the 74 kg category.
“I wasn’t expecting this result myself. I made the biggest mistake when I attacked despite having the lead and it allowed Batirov to take me down,” said Sushil. “I paid the price for not participating in big events in the last four years.”
“Before going to this year’s World Championships, I will participate in all the big events so that I am ready to handle bigger challenges,” said the 35-year-old. “I am enjoying wrestling and looking for a good show at the Tokyo Olympics.”
In the 86kg bronze medal match, Pawan Kumar made a rousing start by blanking Heng Vuthy of Cambodia 8-0 but later lost to reigning world champion Hassan Yazdani Charati of Iran.
WOMEN TAKE STAGE
India who won five medals at the Incheon Asian Games, including a gold and a silver, would be expecting more medals when top women wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Pinki, Pooja Dhanda and Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik take the mat on Monday.