Bajrang Punia & Yogeshwar Dutt: Can the apprentice outshine his master in Tokyo?
Punia on several occasions has made it clear that he idolises his mentor Yogeshwar Dutt and wants to be like him
In the 2018 Asian Games, Bajrang Punia was on a roll. In the Round of 16, he ousted Sirojiddin Khasanov, even though the Uzbek raced ahead to take a 3-0 lead in the first round. However, 13 consecutive points for Punia not only ensured that Khasanov was thrashed but also acted as a clarion call to other wrestlers. In the quarters and semis, he continued to be unstoppable. He beat Tajikistan's Abdulqosim 12-2 and humiliated Batmaglai Batchuluum of Mongolia 10-0 to book a berth in the final.
Before the final, he was standing at an important crossroad in his life.
Four years back, his guide, mentor, and friend had clinched gold in the same competition in the same weight category. Punia was also a part of the tournament but he was fighting in the 61kg category so that he did not have to face Dutt at any stage.
"Yogeshwar is my role model," he had stated before he left for the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
In 2008, Bajrang met Yogeshwar Dutt who was already a star in the wrestling landscape of India.
Young Punia started to follow Dutt's footsteps very closely and due to his hardworking, Dutt also took a liking for the youngster. The senior wrestler took him under his wings. In 2014, Punia joined Yogeshwar's academy and their association only grew stronger.
Their relationship transgressed egos and competition. At the Rio 2016 Olympics, Punia happily conceded the 65kg spot to Dutt, as the latter was keen to script a golden swansong in spite of not being at his prime. But he made a first-round exit after losing to Mongolian Ganzorigiina Mandakhnaran. Soon after Dutt retired and only then, Punia started wrestling in the 65kg weight category.
But in his new category, he took time to settle down. In the 2017 World Championship, he had a tough time and finished 13th. Although he did win a gold at the Commonwealth Games in April 2018, his acid test was the Asian Games a few months later.
After sweeping away his opponents in the earlier rounds, Punia was pitted against Daichi Takatani of Japan. It was a tricky match and he won after having to stave off the Japanese's challenge, with the scoreline reading 10-8. That gold medal finally helped Punia walk out of Dutt's shadow. But even in victory, he was humble.
"I've grown as a wrestler under Yogeshwar and whatever I am and whatever I've achieved is because of him. He decided to retire so that I could wrestle in his category but if in future he ever decides to make a comeback, I will move away from this weight category. I won't wrestle with him. You can call it love for a brother or respect for a teacher," he stated after winning.
Whereas Dutt's chest swelled with pride.
"I couldn’t be happier. He has made me and the whole country proud. In the Asian Games, competition is always tough, but Bajrang backed himself all through and won.
"The opponent (Takatani Daichi of Japan) in the final had beaten him in the past, but he didn’t let that affect him. It was a good fight, it was very fast and Bajrang started on the right note by reeling off six points," he commented.
In 2012, he won the bronze medal in London 2012 Olympics and boasts of a memento from almost all major international competitions, barring the World Championship. His pupil fulfilled that wish when he won a silver at Budapest in 2018. In the same year, Punia became the world no. 1 courtesy of his brilliant form.
A decade later his stature was no less than his mentor. But there were still miles left to go.
"If we beat World Champions, only then the world will acknowledge us and we will make a name’. So, he (Yogeshwar) says beat the bigger guys to make it big. He always keeps morale and motivation level high,” Punia reminisced.
And there is no better platform to beat World Champions than the Olympics - an event where he is yet to participate. Dutt after his retirement was busy helping Punia for Tokyo 2020. However, since the event got postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the pair have not met regularly.
"He (Yogeshwar) now remains busy with politics and I am training for the Olympics in Bengaluru and in Russia," Punia said a few months before.
But one can be sure that Dutt would remain glued to a screen when his favourite student grapples on the mat in Tokyo.
Can Punia finish with a gold medal in Tokyo? Well, that would be a fitting tribute to the man who handheld him in the sport that defines his life.