Asian Games: Wrestler Bajrang Kumar one step away from gold

Bajrang Kumar (left)

Indian wrestler Bajrang Kumar turned on the style, beating Japan’s Takatsuka Noriyuki to storm into the final of the men’s freestyle 61-kg category at the Dowon Gymnasium. The 2012 Glasgow Commonwealth Games silver medallist came into his own after a tardy start to set up a final showdown with Iran’s Esmaeilpoorjouybari Masoud. The 2013 Asian Championship bronze medallist had advanced to the semifinals after prevailing over Tajikistan’s Farkhodi Usmomdoza in the quarterfinals. The 2012 Glasgow Commonwealth Games silver medallist had earlier shrugged off a sluggish start to put it across Mongolia’s Tuvshintulga Tumenbileg. The 2013 World Championship bronze medallist was trailing 2-4 in the first round, but showed nerves of steel to claw his way back and emerged the winner.

On the final day of freestyle wrestling, the other Indian wrestlers capped off a disappointing day so far. Narsingh Yadav lost in the opening round of the freestyle 74-kg category to Uzbekistan’s Rashid Kurbanov. Narsingh was ahead on points but suffered lapses in concentration to allow Rashid to stage a come-from-behind victory.

Another Indian, Pawan Kumar won his opening round bout of the freestyle 81-kg category against Nepal’s Sumir Kumar Sah in emphatic fashion (8-0), but went down fighting to formidable Meisam Mostafajoukar of Iran in the quarterfinals.

Yogeshwar Dutt gave the Indian wrestling camp plenty to rejoice about bagging the country’s irst Asian Games gold medal after a hiatus of 28 years – Kartar Singh last won it at the 1986 Seoul Olympics. The 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist and the 2006 Doha Asiad bronze medallist won the country’s first Asian Games gold medal after a hiatus of 28 years – Kartar Singh last won in 1986. The Glasgow Commonwealth Games gold medallist fought a tactical bout which went right down to the wire. S Kadian crashed out in the bronze medal play-off round in the 97-kg category, while Amit Kumar and Praveen Rana bowed out in their opening rounds. Among the Indian women, Vinesh and Geetika Jhakar clinched bronze medals in the 48-kg and 63-kg respectively. Babita Kumar lost in the bronze medal play-off round in the 55-kg category, while Jyoti lost in the quarterfinals of the women’s 75-kg category.