The wrestling action continued on Day 5 of the Asian Wrestling Championships currently being held at the KD Jadhav Hall at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi. The fifth day witnessed the top male wrestlers of Asia compete for glory on the mat across a wide range of weight categories.
Indian wrestlers Ravi Kumar Dahiya (57 kg), Naveen (70 kg), Gourav Baliyan (79 kg), Satywart Kadiyan (97 kg) and Bajrang Punia (65 kg) were all in action through the day as they aimied to add medals to India's tally at the Asian Wrestling Championships.
Bajrang Punia misses out on the gold medal
Decorated Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia was in action in the Men's 65 kg freestyle wrestling starting out as a strong favorite for the gold medal. He started out with an imposing 12 - 2 win over Abbos Rakhmonov from Uzbekistan.
In the semi-finals, he faced Iranian wrestler Amirhossein Azim Maghsoudi and prevailed with a 10 - 0 win to make it to the gold medal clash. He was up against Japanese opponent Takuto Otoguro but ended up losing 2 - 10 in a one-sided affair having to settle for the silver medal.
Men's Freestyle Wrestling - 65 kg
Gold Medal Match
Takuto Otoguro (JPN) df. Bajrang Punia (IND) by VPO1, 10 - 2
Bronze Medal Matches
Amirhossein Azim Maghsoudi (IRI) df. Abbos Rakhmonov (UZB) by VPO, 2 - 0
Daulet Niyazbekov (KAZ) df. Nyamdorj Battulga (MGL) by VPO1, 4 - 1
Repechage
Abbos Rakhmonov (UZB) df. Dzhamshed Sharifov (TJK) by VPO1, 7 - 2
Daulet Niyazbekov (KAZ) df. Mohammed Al Jawad Zuhair K Kareem (IRQ) by VFA, 8 - 2
Semi-Finals
Takuto Otoguro (JPN) df. Nyamdorj Battulga (MGL) by VSU1, 11 - 1
Bajrang (IND) df. Amirhossein Azim Maghsoudi (IRI) by VSU, 10 - 0
Quarter-Finals
Bajrang (IND) df. Abbos Rakhmonov (UZB) by VSU1, 12 - 2
Nyamdorj Battulga (MGL) df. Junsik Yun (KOR) by VFA, 7 - 3
Amirhossein Azim Maghsoudi (IRI) df. Yu Hsuan Chang (TPE) by VSU, 10 - 0
Takuto Otoguro (JPN) df. Daulet Niyazbekov (KAZ) by VPO1, 10 - 3
Qualification Round
Abbos Rakhmonov (UZB) df. Putawan Senawar (THA) by VSU, 10 - 0
Yu Hsuan Chang (TPE) df. Hussein Abdullah Hussein Abdullah Al Azzani (YEM) by VSU, 14 - 0
Bajrang Punia (IND) df. Dzhamshed Sharifov (TJK) by VSU, 11 - 0
Takuto Otoguro (JPN) df. Mohammed Al Jawad Zuhair K Kareem (IRQ) by VSU, 10 - 0
Amirhossein Azim Maghsoudi (IRI) df. Nurgazy Abdurazakov (KGZ) by VSU, 10 - 0
Daulet Niyazbekov (KAZ) df. Haji Mohamad Ali (BRN) by VPO1, 7 - 2
Men's Freestyle Wrestling - 70 kg
India's Naveen was the representative in the 70 kg freestyle event for India and started the day with a win over Korea's Taejin Jeon to make it to the semi-finals. However, he was defeated by Iran's Amirhossein Ali Hosseini in a close 2 - 3 encounter thus bowing out of the gold medal race.
Naveen faced Meirzhan Ashirov from Kazakhstan in his bronze medal bout but lost with a 12 - 1 margin. Uzbekistan's Ilyas Bekbulatov won the gold medal when he defeated Iran's Amirhossein Ali Hosseini with a score of 10 - 6.
Gold Medal Match
Ilyas Bekbulatov (UZB) df. Amirhossein Ali Hosseini (IRI) by VPO1, 10 - 6
Bronze Medal Matches
Islambek Orozbekov (KGZ) df. Temuulen Enkhtuya (MGL) by VIN, 0 - 0
Meirzhan Ashirov (KAZ) df. Naveen (IND) by VSU1, 12 - 1
Semi-Finals
Amirhossein Ali Hosseini (IRI) df. Naveen (IND) by VPO1, 3 - 2
Ilyas Bekbulatov (UZB) df. Temuulen Enkhtuya (MGL) by VIN, 4 - 2
Quarter-Finals
Ilyas Bekbulatov (UZB) df. Islambek Orozbekov (KGZ) by VSU1, 14 - 3
Temuulen Enkhtuya (MGL) df. Shin Haraguchi (JPN) by VPO1, 4 - 1
Naveen (IND) df. Taejin Jeon (KOR) by VPO1, 5 - 5
Amirhossein Ali Hosseini (IRI) df. Meirzhan Ashirov (KAZ) by VPO1, 5 - 4
Qualification Round
Islambek Orozbekov (KGZ) df. Abdullrahman Ibrahim (QAT) by VSU, 10 - 0
Men's Freestyle Wrestling - 57 kg
India's Ravi Kumar Dahiya began the day with a qualification round win over Japan's Yuki Takahashi in a 14 - 5 margin. He faced Tugs Batjargal from Mongolia in the quarter final and defeated him with a 6 - 3 margin to seal his spot in the semi-finals.
In a strong showing, Dahiya overcame the challenge from Kazakhstan's Nurislam Sanayev with a 7 - 2 scoreline to make it to the gold medal match.
Ravi Kumar Dahiya clinched the gold medal for the home nation when he overcame the challenge from Tajikistan's Hikmatullo Vohidov in a 10 - 0 victory. This was the only gold medal win for India on the day.
Gold Medal Match
Ravi Kumar (IND) df. Hikmatullo Vohidov (TJK) by VSU, 10 - 0
Bronze Medal Matches
Yuki Takahashi (JPN) df. Nurislam Sanayev (KAZ) by VPO1, 14 - 5
Bekbolot Myrzanazar Uulu (KGZ) df. Sardor Ruzimov (UZB) by VFA, 7 - 0
Repechage Round
Yuki Takahashi (JPN) df. Tugs Batjargal (MGL) by VSU, 10 - 0
Semi-Finals
Ravi Kumar (IND) df. Nurislam Sanayev (KAZ) by VPO1, 7 - 2
Hikmatullo Vohidov (TJK) df. Sardor Ruzimov (UZB) by VPO1, 3 - 2
Quarter-Finals
Hikmatullo Vohidov (TJK) df. Bekbolot Myrzanazar Uulu (KGZ) by VPO1, 7 - 6
Ravi Kumar (IND) df. Tugs Batjargal (MGL) by VFA, 6 - 3
Nurislam Sanayev (KAZ) df. Alireza Nosratolah Sarlak (IRI) by VPO1, 4 - 2
Sardor Ruzimov (UZB) df. Gamal Mohammed Yahya Alsabri (YEM) by VSU, 12 - 0
Qualification Round
Nurislam Sanayev (KAZ) df. Ahmed Jawad Kadhim Al Zaidawi (IRQ) by VPO, 9 - 0
Ravi Kumar (IND) df. Yuki Takahashi (JPN) by VPO1, 14 - 5
Alireza Nosratolah Sarlak (IRI) df. Chia Wei Chou (TPE) by VSU, 10 - 0
Men's Freestyle Wrestling - 97 kg
Satywart Kadian started his campaign in the quarter-finals round against Jordan's Zaid Husein Mohamad Haroun Shishani and won with a strong 10 - 0 win. He followed that up with an identical 10 - 0 victory over Tajikistan's Rustam Iskandari to set up his chance at the gold medal.
Kadian faced Iran's Mojtaba Mohammadshafie Goleij in the gold medal bout but fell short in a lopsided 0 - 10 margin loss. The Iranian veteran proved too much to handle for Kadian on the mat.
Gold Medal Match
Mojtaba Mohammadshafie Goleij (IRI) df. Satywart Kadian (IND) by VSU, 10 - 0
Bronze Medal Matches
Alisher Yergali (KAZ) df. Magomed Musaev (KGZ) by VPO1, 11 - 5
Rustam Iskandari (TJK) df. Zaid Husein Mohamad Haroun Shishani (JOR) by VFA, 6 - 0
Repechage Round
Alisher Yergali (KAZ) df. Ulziisaikhan Baasantsogt (MGL) by VPO1, 16 - 8
Semi-Finals
Mojtaba Mohammadshafie Goleij (IRI) df. Magomed Musaev (KGZ) by VSU1, 12 - 2
Satywart Kadian (IND) df. Rustam Iskandari (TJK) by VSU, 10 - 0
Quarter-Finals
Rustam Iskandari (TJK) df. Tayab Raza (PAK) by VPO1, 12 - 5
Satywart Kadian (IND) df. Zaid Husein Mohamad Haroun Shishani (JOR) by VSU, 10 - 0
Mojtaba Mohammadshafie Goleij (IRI) df. Alisher Yergali (KAZ) by VPO1, 6 - 4
Magomed Musaev (KGZ) df. Minwon Seo (KOR) by VPO1, 7 - 2
Qualification Round
Alisher Yergali (KAZ) df. Makhsud Veysalov (UZB) by VSU, 10 - 0
Minwon Seo (KOR) df. Taira Sonoda (JPN) by VPO1, 5 - 5
Mojtaba Mohammadshafie Goleij (IRI) df. Ulziisaikhan Baasantsogt (MGL) by VSU, 11 - 0
Men's Freestyle Wrestling - 79 kg
Gourav Baliyan was the Indian contender in Men's 79 kg freestyle wrestling event and made it to the semi-finals with a 3 - 1 win over Batzul Damjin from Mongolia. He took on Japanese wrestler Shinkichi Okui and won a close bout with a 6 - 5 scoreline to enter the gold medal clash.
Baliyan faced Kyrgyz Republic's Arsalan Budzhapov in the final match and ended up on the losing side in a match that saw the tables turn both ways through the course of the bout. In the end, Budzhapov clinched the gold with a 7 - 5 victory.
Gold Medal Match
Arsalan Budzhapov (KGZ) df. Gourav Baliyan (IND) by VPO1, 7 - 5
Semi-Finals
Arsalan Budazhapov (KGZ) df. Ali Bakhtiar Savadkouhi (IRI) by VPO1, 3 - 1
Gourav Baliyan (IND) df. Shinkichi Okui (JPN) by VPO1, 6 - 5
Quarter-Finals
Shinkichi Okui (JPN) df. Hwiseung Yun (KOR) by VPO1, 3 - 1
Ali Bakhtiar Savadkouhi (IRI) df. Sukhrob Sharipov (UZB) by VSU, 10 - 0
Gourav Baliyan (IND) df. Batzul Damjin (MGL) by VPO1, 3 - 1
Arsalan Budazhapov (KGZ) df. Galymzhan Usserbayev (KAZ) by VPO1, 4 - 2
The final day of action at the Asian Wrestling Championships in New Delhi will witness stars like Deepak Punia (86 kg), Rahul Aware (61 kg), Jitender (74 kg), Sombir (92 kg) and Satender (125 kg) on the mat aiming for glory on home soil.