Yogeshwar Dutt speaks out after emotional battle against Bajrang

Brothers-in-arms – Bajrang Punia and Yogeshwar Dutt

With the Haryana Hammers leading 3-1 in the tie against the Bengaluru Yodhas, the fifth match was all important as it was a must-win for the Yodhas. But there was something far more significant in this particular bout as Olympic bronze medalist Yogeshwar Dutt faced off against his protege Bajrang Punia in the 65 kg category clash.

It was a battle between two best friends as Yogeshwar came up trumps in a tight and riveting encounter to ensure overall victory for the Hammers in the tie. The moment of the match came before it started as Bajrang bowed to touch his opponent’s feet as a mark of respect for Dutt, who he sees as a father figure. However, it was the senior Yogeshwar who led 1-0 as the first round drew to a close after some intense grappling with both men trying their best to outmuscle the other.

In the second round, Yogi caught hold of Punia’s right ankle and was all set to capitalize on the opportunity, but the Bengaluru man showed great guile to reverse the move and turn the tables on his mentor. He got two points for the move and led 1-2 for a good amount of time before Yogeshwar pounced ferociously and downed him to complete a remarkable comeback and end the bout at 3-2.

The relationship shared by the two wrestlers is heart-warming to see and the amount of respect they hold for each other is a great sight as well. This bout was the most highly anticipated one in the fixture and was billed as a ‘Guru-Chela’ and ‘Father-Son’ clash as both have grown up together and have trained together throughout their lives. It was an emotional moment for both and Yogeshwar explained how hard it was to fight against someone who he sees as his brother.

Yogeshwar edged out Punia 3-2

He explained to the press that they have known each other since their childhood and know each other’s techniques and tricks inside out, which is why the match was a tight affair. He showered praise on Bajrang and stated that he is a future star who will bring many laurels to the nation.

Yogeshwar also expressed his pleasure at his team’s performance and that they are already focused on their next match. He defended the performances of Oksana Herhel, who is the reigning world champion in her category and Livan Lopez who won the bronze medal at the 2012 Olympic Games. Both grapplers were favourite to win their ties, but were unable to do so, and the Hammers captain came to their defense stating that it takes time to settle and that they will do much better in the upcoming set of games.

Last but not the least, he also praised youngster Nitin Rathee for his fabulous victory against Sandeep Tomar. Rathee had been a last-minute replacement for Amit Dahiya, who is a past Commonwealth gold medalist and runner-up at the World Championships.