Prediction: Will Deepak Punia win a medal at the Tokyo Olympics?

Among India’s medal hopefuls at the Tokyo Olympics, Deepak Punia will find it toughest to finish on the podium. The young wrestler is known for his flexibility, power, stamina and attack. However, injury concerns and a lack of recent competitive experience could work against him.

Deepak Punia burst onto the scene after creating history at the 2019 Junior World Championships. He became the first Indian wrestler to win a gold medal at the event. The same year, at qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in 86kg after settling for a silver medal. Since then, he's competed on just four occasions, of which three were in 2020.

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Injury woes and a lack of exposure have seen Deepak Punia take a dip in form. What still works in his favor is being the second-seeded wrestler in the 86kg category behind Hassan Yazdani, Olympic champion in 74kg.

Who will be Deepak Punia’s challengers at Tokyo Olympics 2020?

Deepak Punia grew up idolizing Yazdani and found himself up against the Iranian wrestler at the 2019 Worlds final. The bout finished without any major action after the Haryanvi pulled out due to a leg injury.

The second time the duo clashed was at this year’s Asian Championship summit, where Yazdani thrashed Punia’s defense to win on technical superiority.

The two will likely not face each other before the Tokyo Olympics final. Meanwhile, Punia will be hoping he isn't pitted against 2018 world champion David Taylor (USA) and European champion Artur Naifonov (RUS).

Taylor and Yazdani are the two favorites to grab the gold medal in Deepak Punia’s weight category and have clashed twice. In their last encounter at the 2018 Worlds in Budapest, Yazdani dominated the first half, leading 6-2. However, a late burst from Taylor saw the match end in his favor at 11-6.

Deepak Punia will have to be strong in the defense department against the two challengers.