Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan), Sept 20:
Shrugging off his controversial semifinal defeat, Bajrang Punia bagged his third World Championship medal while Ravi Dahiya made his debut memorable by grabbing a bronze here today.
Bajrang was already India’s only multiple-medallist at the Worlds and he consolidated his record with his narrow 8-7 win over Mongloia’s Tulga Tumur Ochir, the under-23 Asian champion.
Bajrang held off a spirited challenge from Ochir who had raced to a 6-0 lead but true to his style, the Indian ruled the second period with a flurry of moves.
It was Bajrang’s first tournament of the season where he did not make the final though he qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in this championships.
Ravi was up against Reza Ahmadali Atrinagharchi, the reigning Asian champion from Iran, and capped his stunning debut with a 6-3 win in the bronze medal bout.
This was India’s third medal of the championships — all bronze. Vinesh Phogat had also won a bronze in women’s 53 kg event.
The last time India won three medals at the Worlds was in 2013 when Amit Dahiya, Bajrang and Sandeep Tulsi Yadav stood on the podium.
India also clinched two Olympic quotas through Bajrang (65kg) and Ravi (57kg).
However, double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, who returned to the Worlds after eight years, exited after a 9-11 first round defeat in 74kg against Khadzhimurad Gadzhiyev of Azerbaijan. Sushil was leading 9-4 but seven points in a row to his opponent to lose the bout.
The Azerbaijani wrestler later lost his quarterfinal bout to USA’s Jordan Ernest Burroughs, resulting to Sushil’s ouster from the championship.
For Ravi, it was a memorable World Championships. He had shocked Arsen Harutunyan, the 61kg European champion from Armenia and 2017 world champion and world number three Yuki Takahashi of Japan before losing to Zaur Uguev of Russia.
Another takedown made it 6-3 for Ravi and he held on to the lead to ensure his place on the podium.
In the other category which offered Olympic qualification on Friday, Sumit Malik lost his 125kg first round bout 0-2 to Hungary’s Daniel ligeti, who later lost in the quarterfinals.
In the non-Olympic categories, Karan lost his 70kg Qualification bout 0-7 to Ikhtiyor Navruzov and was ousted when the Uzbek lost in the quarterfinal.
In 92kg, Parveen won his first bout by technical superiority against Korea’s Changjae Su but lost 0-8 to Ukraine’s Liubomyr Sagaliuk.
Sagaliuk’s defeat in the quarterfinals shut the repechage door on the Indian. (PTI)
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