WRESTLEMANIA: All eyes will be on reigning champ Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat’s heir apparent Antim as wrestlers eye best-ever medal haul

Indervir Grewal

Advertisement

Chandigarh, September 20

From the Indian perspective, the focus during the last few days of the Asian Games shifts to wrestling. This year, as the wrestling competition kicks off on October 4, all eyes will be on Bajrang Punia.

As one of the most successful Indian wrestlers, the Olympics and World Championships medallist is expected to be in the spotlight whenever he competes.

But this year, Bajrang will have much more on his mind than the goal of defending his gold in the 65kg freestyle event. The 29-year-old will be eager to prove a point, more to his detractors than his fans, with another stellar show on the mat.

Bajrang has been in the news throughout this year, mainly due to controversies off the field. He was one of the key faces in the protests by some of India’s top wrestlers against former Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

As the protests led to Brij Bhushan’s ouster and the suspension of the federation, the fear of uncertainty overcame many wrestlers, which led to a divide in the wrestling community.

The split widened when Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat were given exemption from the Asian Games trials and included in the team. Bajrang and Vinesh, the only gold medallists at the 2018 edition, came under fire from wrestlers and coaches. Even Sakshi Malik, who had protested with them and did not compete in the trials, criticised the exemption decision.

The decision was also challenged in court by wrestlers in the weight divisions of Bajrang and Vinesh. While Vinesh pulled out due an injury and had to undergo an operation, clearing the way for two-time U-20 world champion Antim Panghal, Bajrang is all set to compete in Hangzhou.

Though Bajrang has been working overtime on his fitness to make up for the lost time, there are big questions about his match-practice. The Asian Games will be the first major event this year for Bajrang, who missed the World Championships to prepare for the continental extravaganza.

Bajrang will be the first person to accept that the competition level at the Asian Games can overwhelm even the athletes who are in top form. Considering his disrupted preparations and lack of competition experience, the odds will be against Bajrang. However, the Haryana wrestler, who will be extra motivated to prove his detractors wrong, has the pedigree to spring a surprise in China.

Antim’s beginning

Another wrestler looking to make a statement will be Antim. The 19-year-old had gone to court, challenging the decision to award Vinesh the exemption. Though her plea was dismissed, Antim went on to win the trials. Antim, who had said that she could beat Vinesh in the trials, justified her claim of being the best in the 53kg division by becoming the first Indian woman to defend her U20 world title.

While her junior title was no clear indication of success at the Asian Games, Antim has proven that she is ready to compete at the top level in the senior category. The teenager stunned the reigning champion to reach the semifinals of the World Championships.

While World Championships silver medallist Deepak Punia will be the other main medal contender for India, Olympics silver medallist Ravi Kumar Dahiya will be the big name missing from the event. The 25-year-old aggravated a knee injury during the trials for the 57kg division, which were eventually won by Aman Sehrawat.