Asian Wrestling C’ships: On top of the world, Bajrang Punia starts new season with high hopes

When Bajrang Punia takes the mat for Asian Championships, it will mark the start of a new season for him. The same tournament last year in Bishkek was the beginning of his most successful season yet and a partnership with new coach Emzarios Bentinidis which has made Punia the top wrestler in the world in his category.

In Xi’an, 14 months after winning the bronze in Bishkek, Punia will start as a favourite in the 65 kg category, especially with world champion Takuto Otugoro, the only wrestler Punia has lost in the last one year, missing the event with injury.

“Obviously this competition holds importance and I am ready for this,” Punia says. “From here I begin a new season which is important because there is Olympic qualification in World Championship, so I am all set.”

Before leaving for China, Punia would sweat it out at the national camp in Sonipat under the guidance of Bentinidis, the Georgian coach credited for his rise. At one such session, Punia is with his regular training partner Jitender, going through the routines. He tames the higher weight category wrestler many a times in the session.

While Jitender looks exhausted, Punia is ready for another round, just like his bouts where he tires his opponent to such levels that it is difficult for the other wrestler to match his stamina.

“It has been my strength for long. Earlier I used to lose matches in the last few seconds but now I maintain the stamina and winning as well. Shako [as his coach is known] has helped with the techniques and add some more attacks,” he says.

It was this partnership with Bentinidis that made him the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games in 2018 beside becoming the first Indian to win two medals at World Championship when he won the silver in Budapest.

He now faces the challenge to regain the title he won at home in 2017. In the field at 65 kg, he faces a tough ask against veteran Chinese wrestler Katai Yeerlanbieke who was at Rio Olympics and is a bronze medallist at 2014 Asian Games.

Other big threats are Kazakhstan’s Daulet Niyazbekov, the defending champion who will be aiming for his fourth Asian gold and seventh medal overall, as well as Asian Games bronze medalist Sirojiddin Khansanov of Uzbekistan. Mongolian’s Tulha Tumur Ochir and former junior world champ from Iran Peiman Biabani cannot be taken lightly as well.

“In Bishkek, I had only one month to train with Bajrang and didn’t know what his style was. It was a bit rushed. Now it’s different. He is the best and only gold is the target,” Bentinidis says.

While Punia spearheads the Indian challenge, there will be a strong Indian representation at the Asian Championships.

Upcoming wrestler Ravi Kumar (57 kg) will be at his first Asian Championship but will be in medal contention. The U-23 World Championship silver medallist will face stiff challenge from Yuki Takahashi, the 2017 world champion and Asian champion. From North Korea Sumsong Kang, who won the silver medal at Asian Games last year, will be one of favourites for gold alongside Takahashi, who he defeated in first round in Jakarta.

Another young wrestler from Chhatarsaal stadium Deepak Punia (86 kg) will try to be on the podium. The category will not see Asian Games champ Hassan Yazdani (Rio Olympics gold medallist at 74kg) but still boasts of many challengers who can lay claim for the gold medal.

On Tuesday, apart from Ravi and Punia, Rajneesh, Praveen Rana and Satyawart Kadian will be in action as the tournament marks the start of the Olympic cycle for Tokyo.

The other big names at the event include Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat.

Vinesh will hope to give a good account of herself in the women’s 53kg – a relatively new weight category for her. She had competed for the first time in that category at the UWW Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov tournament in Bulgaria and had bagged a silver medal.

Sakshi, the bronze winner at the Rio Olympics, had also won silver in women’s 65kg in that event, while Pooja Dhanda won the yellow metal in women’s 59kg category.

At the Asian Championships, Sakshi will go back to her 62kg category, while Navjot Kaur will represent India in women’s 65kg. Pooja Dhanda will fight in 57kg in this tournament. Asian Games bronze medallist Divya Kakran will return to competitive wrestling having recovered from an ankle injury and is all set to compete in women’s 68kg category.

National champion Amit Dhankar will participate in men’s 74kg in the absence of two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, who decided to give the Championship a miss.

The championships, which concludes on April 28, will see Greco-Roman wrestlers fighting for top honours on the last two days of the competition.

India’s squad:

Men’s Freestyle: Ravi Kumar (57kg), Rahul Aware (61kg), Bajrang Punia (65kg), Rajneesh (70kg), Amit Dhankar (74kg), Praveen Rana (79kg), Deepak Punia (86kg), Vicky (92kg), Satyavrat Kadian (97kg) and Sumit (125kg).

Women’s wrestling: Seema (50kg), Vinesh Phogat (53kg), Lalita Sehrawat (55kg), Pooja Dhanda (57kg), Manju (59kg), Sakshi Malik (62kg), Navjot Kaur (65kg), Divya Kakran (68kg), Kiran (72kg) and Pooja (76kg).

Greco Roman Style: Manjeet (55kg), Gyanender (60kg), Vikram Kumar (63kg), Ravinder (67kg), Yogesh (72kg), Gurpreet Singh (77kg), Harpreet Singh (82kg), Sunil Kumar (87kg), Hardeep Singh (97kg) and Prem Kumar (130kg).

(With PTI inputs)