'Will leave no stone unturned to win gold', says wrestler Bajrang Punia

Indian grappler Bajrang Punia trains ahead of the Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia on Friday. Pic/PTI

While Sushil Kumar is the original super star of Indian wrestling, one grappler who has been stealing the headlines of late is 65kg freestyle ace Bajrang Punia. And he can do that once again today, if he can wrestle his way to the top of the podium as Day 1 of the Asian Games wrestling competition gets underway at the Jakarta Convention Centre Assembly Hall here on Sunday.

Such has been Bajrang's form on the mat in the recent past that he has won five out of the last seven tournaments he has participated in and has finished on the podium on all occasions.

A proud chela (disciple) of London Olympics bronze medal-winning grappler Yogeshwar Dutt, Bajrang, 24, is now being tipped to go a step above his silver place finish at the last Asian Games in Incheon when he steps into the circle at this edition.

Fortunately, he has enjoyed a favourable draw with a first round bye, bringing a smile to India's chief wrestling coach (freestyle) Jagminder Singh's face. "Bajrang is a hardworking boy and deserves any success that comes his way. He has a got good draw here, because he is avoiding the Iranian wrestler [Mehran Nasiriafrachali], who could pose some stiff competition, right up until the final," Jagminder said at the Athletes Village yesterday, while the Indian contingent was preparing to leave for the evening's Opening Ceremony.

Meanwhile, the man himself is quietly confident but refuses to assert that he will win the yellow metal. "I'm feeling great and won't leave any stone unturned in my effort to win top honours for my country. Please pray that everything goes as per plan and my tactics," Bajrang said.

Bajrang is fresh from a double gold medal-winning effort last month, where he prevailed at the Tbilisi Grand Prix in Georgia followed by a top spot in the Yasar Dogu event in Istanbul, Turkey. He also won gold medals at the Asian Championships in New Delhi and the Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan - both last year.

In fact, so impressed has the Wrestling Federation of Indian been with Bajrang's form that he is the only male wrestler besides Sushil Kumar who was directly awarded a berth in the Indian team for the Games, without the otherwise mandatory trial, and no one contested the federation's call. "That's because Bajrang has been training with his personal coach [Georgian Emzario Bentinidis] in Georgia and the results are there for all to see," said Jagminder.

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