Greco-Roman wrestlers struggle

Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan: Ravi won India’s first bout at the World Championships before suffering a defeat by fall as the country’s Greco-Roman wrestlers’ disappointing show continued here on Sunday. The Olympic qualification was at stake in three categories but all three Indians cut a sorry figure as Manish (67kg) , Sunil Kumar (87kg) and Ravi (97kg) exited without a fight. The four wrestlers in action on the opening day had not won a single bout and three of them did not even score a point but Ravi managed to win a bout against Chinese Taipei’s Cheng Hao Chen. In the second period, the Taipei lost a point due to passivity and Ravi took advantage by employing a gut-wrench from the ground position. There was not much action in the bout as the Indian won 5-0. In the next bout against Czech Republic’s Artur Omarov, Ravi lost two points for fleeing the mat and then conceded a passivity point.