Rahul Aware (61kg) added to India’s record medal tally at the 2019 Senior Wrestling World Championships in Nursultan, Kazakhstan on Sunday by clinching bronze.
Aware beat Tyler Lee Graff (USA) 11-4 in the bronze medal bout of the non-Olympic category to earn India’s fifth medal at the event this year.
The American started the bout by racing off the blocks and picking up two points in the first few seconds. But Aware steadied himself and showed good defence, before bouncing with a couple of two-point moves to take a lead 4-2 into the second period.
Graff looked to start on the offensive in the second period as well but Aware’s defence came to the fore again and he launched a stunning counter attack with a series of two-pointers to take a 10-2 lead. A lost challenge from Graff’s team helped Aware take a massive nine-point lead with less than a minute to go.
Graff tried to force an unlikely comeback in the dying seconds but could only add two more points and Aware won by a handsome seven-point margin.
India will return from the World Championship with its best-ever performance, with a total of five medals. India had returned with three medals in 2013 in their previous best showing.
Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya have already won a bronze medal each while Deepak Punia won silver after pulling out of Sunday’s final due to injuries. All four of them qualified for the Tokyo Olympics as well.
On Saturday, Aware had to overcome a Kazakh wrestler en route the semifinals. He lost a pacy semifinal 6-10 to Beka Lomtadze of Georgia, the European championship silver medallist. The Indian fell behind 1-8 after Lomtadze dominated the first period with his quick moves and solid defence.
However, the Georgian began to tire after the break and Aware reduced the deficit with a push out and two consecutive take-downs. With just 21 seconds left in the bout and still trailing 6-8, Aware needed a big throw but it was Lomtadze who earned two points to seal his place in the final.