Asian Games 2018: Bajrang Punia was the only hope for the gold in wrestling event after Sushil Kumar who crashed out of the mega sporting event after losing his first bout. He registers history after winning India’s first gold medal in the Asian games 2018.
Bajrang Punia defeated Japan’s Daichi Takatani in a close encounter which ended at a final scoreline of 11-8 in the favor of the Indian. He won gold in 65 Kg category.
Two-time Olympic medallist Sushil, who was exempted from the Asiad trials, lost 3-5 to Bahrain’s Adam Batirov in the 74 kg category. He had come into the Games after losing his first bout in four years.
Bajrang Punia literally took his opponent from the scruff of the neck from the moment go in the first round of the semi-finals, taking an impressive 8-0 lead and literally demolishing the chances of Mongolian Batmagnai Batchuluun. The Mongolian wrestler was outdone by Punia, who ripped him to shreds, literally. Here is a picture of Batmagnai during the halftime of the semifinals;
Punia was born in Khudan, Jhajjar district of Haryana. He started practicing wrestling at a tender age of seven.
Punia created a buzz in the wrestling world after he won the bronze medal in 2013 Asian Wrestling Championships in the 60-kg category. Just a year later, Punia went one step ahead and won the silver medal (in 61 kg category) in the Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow in 2014.
Punia’s biggest win came in May 2017 when he won the gold medal in Asian Wrestling Championship; he also won the yellow medal at the Commonwealth Championship.
Bajrang Punia secured the silver medal for India in November 2017 at the U-23 Senior World Wrestling Championships, the medal was also his first at the world level in the Olympics weight category. Punia also won the gold medal in Commonwealth Games 2018 in the 57 kg category. Bajrang Punia had also won the silver medal in Commonwealth Games 2014
Bajrang Punia is also a recipient of India’s highest sporting honor Arjuna award.
