BAJRANG SAYS HE WILL BE BACK TO HIS BEST BEFORE C’WEALTH GAMES

NEW DELHI: It was not all smooth sailing for Bajrang Punia as he qualified for the Commonwealth Games and will defend his title in Birmingham. He defeated Sujeet (4-0) in the semi-final and just about managed to edge out Vishal Kaliraman (2-1) in the 65kg final at the selection trials here on Tuesday.

In his first bout, Punia led 2-0 till the last few seconds when Sujeet attacked. Punia countered to add two more points. In the final too, he largely relied on his defence. Vishal narrowed the gap and Punia scrambled to save the lead towards the end.

“Both were good opponents. Vishal is three or four times national champion. I have worked on my defence and was able to execute my plans,” said Punia.

Asked about his lack of attacking moves, Punia said conditions were tough. “It was so hot. Everyone was sweating heavily and it was difficult to get a good grip. In such situations, it becomes a level-playing field. You might end up giving points on attacks. So the idea was to stay safe and win,” said Punia, who won the Asian Championships silver last month.

Punia is on a comeback after a knee injury and said he will be back to his best in the next few tournaments. “There was a big gap after the Tokyo Olympics and I was coming back from injury. It will take some time to get the timing, confidence back on my attacking moves. I am in the right direction and I can say that the old Bajrang will be back soon.”

The Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist wasn’t happy with criticism of his style.

Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya (57kg) was also in trouble initially against Vijay, who led 3-1. Dahiya took control of the bout and went up 7-3 before securing his win by fall. He defeated Aman by technical superiority in the final.