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Bajrang Punia And Sakshi Malik’s Twin Wrestling Golds Boost India’s Commonwealth Games Tally


Wrestler Bajrang Punia won the gold medal for India at CWG 2022© AFP

Bajrang Punia took home India’s first gold medal in wrestling at the ongoing 2022 Commonwealth Games, when he beat Canada’s Lachlan McNeil in the men’s 65kg freestyle final. . Minutes later, 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medalist Sakshi Malik overcame Ana Gonzalez of Canada in the women’s 62kg to claim India’s second gold medal of the sport. The fun on the carpet didn’t end there as Deepak Punia added his third gold medal of the night, defeating Muhammad Inam of Pakistan in the men’s 86 kg category.

Bajrang is an Olympic bronze medalist (Tokyo 2020) and also has a gold and another silver medal in the Commonwealth Games that bear his name. He had one silver and two bronze medals in the World Championships. Bajrang started his Commonwealth Games career with a silver medal in the 61kg class in Glasgow in 2014. He won a silver medal at the Asian Games in Incheon the same time. He moved up to 65kg in 2018 and won gold at CWG in Gold Coast and followed by gold at Asiad in Jakarta. The biggest moment of his career came in 2021 when he became an Olympic medalist, winning bronze in Tokyo.

On the other hand, for Sakshi Malik, this is the first gold medal at CWG. She won a silver medal in the 58kg class in 2014 and a bronze medal in the 62kg class in 2018.

For Deepak, the 2019 World Championship silver medalist, it was the first major gold medal at a high-level event.

It was a technically perfect match for Bajrang in the final as he beat the Canadian 9-2.

Such was the dominance of Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Bajrang in the 65 kg competition that he won three of his four matches in the first rounds.

The 28-year-old defending champion beat Lowe Bingham of Naurau and Mauritius ‘Jean Guyliane Joris Bandou’ by fall ‘before winning by technical superiority over England’s Geroge Ramm.

Lachlan Maurice McNeil of Canada fought well against Bajrang but the Indians were superior in technique and stamina.

Bajrang has struggled to play freely since last year and his overly tight defensive tactics have questioned his ability to prolong his dominance in the international arena but on Friday he He moved without inhibition.

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However, CWG is not the best platform to judge whether Bajrang will regain his mojo because of the poorer quality of the field.

(With PTI input)

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