Asian wrestling championships: Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya in Indian team – full list
Tokyo Olympian Deepak Punia also made the cut. Former Asian champion will lead the Greco-Roman charge at the continental meet in Mongolia.
Tokyo Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Ravi Kumar Dahiya sealed their spots in the Indian team for the Asian wrestling championships 2022 after winning in their respective weight categories at the national selection trials held on Thursday.
The continental wrestling championship will be held at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from April 19 to 24.
While Bajrang Punia, competing in 65kg, prevailed 4-2 against Rohit in the final, Ravi Dahiya received a walkover from Aman Sehrawat in the 57kg.
Another Tokyo Olympian, Deepak Punia defeated Vinod 6-0 in the final of the 86kg category. The match ended abruptly after Aman was given third and final caution during the course of an intense fight.
Other notable names to make the cut include Gourav Baliyan, a silver medal winner from the 2020 Asian championships, and three-time Asian medallist Satyawart Kadian.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) put Bajrang, Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Ravi Dahiya and Deepak Punia directly in the finals of their respective categories.
This was the first time star Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia took the mat since winning bronze at Tokyo 2020. The Indian wrestler injured his right knee before the Olympics which kept troubling him in the absence of a regular physio.
Bajrang Punia had also pulled out from the ranking series in Istanbul last month due to the same injury concern.
Overall, trials were held for 10 men’s freestyle weight divisions and the Greco-Roman categories on Thursday. The women’s trials will be held on Friday.
Former Asian champion Sunil Kumar made the cut in the Greco-Roman category.
At the previous Asian wrestling championships edition in 2021, India finished third in the medals table with five golds, three silvers and six bronze medals. Ravi Dahiya won one of the gold medals while both Bajrang and Deepak had bagged silvers.
Indian men’s wrestling team for Asian Wrestling Championships 2022
Men’s freestyle: Ravi Kumar Dahiya (57kg), Mangal (61kg), Bajrang Punia (65kg), Naveen (70kg), Yash Tushir (74kg), Gourav Baliyan (79kg), Deepak Punia (86kg), Vicky Chahar (92kg), Satyawart Kadian (97kg), Anirudh Gulia (125kg).
Greco-Roman: Arjuna Halakurki (55kg), Gyanender (60kg), Neeraj (63kg), Sachin Sehrawat (67kg), Vikas (72kg), Sajan (77kg), Harpreet Singh (82kg), Sunil Kumar (87kg), Ravi (97kg), Prem (130kg).