PWL: Tomar takes down Rio Olympics champ, Haryana win

new delhi, January 16 

Sandeep Tomar stunned Rio Olympics champion Vladimir Khinchegashvili to help Haryana Hammers defeat Punjab Royals 5-2 and register their fifth straight win in the Pro Wrestling League to top the points table. Haryana Hammers have remained unbeaten in the group stage and will clash with fourth-placed Jaipur Ninjas in the first semifinal tomorrow. Punjab, meanwhile, will face Mumbai Maharathis in the second semifinal. On Monday, Haryana got off to a dream start when Tomar posted a 3-1 upset win over Khinchegashvili in the 57kg category. What was supposed to be a one-sided contest turned out to the bout of the tournament with Tomar springing a massive surprise with his agile movements and superb defence. Khinchegashvili won a solitary point in the first round but Tomar made a strong comeback in the second half round, showcasing some brilliant defensive skills. Tomar stunned his fancied rival with a takedown in the dying moments of the contest.

In the second contest (97kg), Haryana’s Abdusalam Gadisov proved too strong for Punjab’s Krishan Kumar and notched up a 5-0 win in the 97kg contest. Indu Chaudhary (48kg) then beat Nirmala Devi to make it 3-0 for Haryana. — PTI