Bajrang Punia, who won gold in the 2017 edition of Senior Asian Wrestling Championships, has settled for a bronze this time in men’s 65kg freestyle. Another wrestler Vinod Kumar Omprakash won the other bronze medal in the men’s 70kg freestyle. The two medals took India’s tally to eight — gold and silver each with six bronze medals.
Bajrang lost 5-7 in the quarterfinals against Daichi Takatani of Japan. But he got the chance to play in the repechage round after his conqueror reached the final. In the first encounter he defeated Abdulqosim Fayziev of Tajikistan 12-2 and then went on to beat Yones Aliakbar Emamichoghaei of Iran 10-4 in the bronze medal play-off.
Vinod Kumar also won the bronze in repechage round after he lost his quarterfinal bout against Ikhtiyor Navruzov of Uzbekistan by 3-6. In the bronze medal play off match he defeated Elaman Dogdurbek Uulu of Kyrgyzstan.
It is at this year’scompetition that India scripted history when Navjot Kaur became the first women wrestler from the country to win the first-ever gold.
