CWG 2022 | Ravi Kumar Dahiya and Bajrang Punia get a spot in the Indian wrestling team
Bajrang Punia and Ravi Kumar Dahiya, both Tokyo 2020 medalists, were selected for the wrestling squad for the CWG 2022 after topping their weight divisions in the national selection trials conducted on Tuesday. Punia, an Olympic bronze medalist in the freestyle 65kg division, beat Vishal in final.
“This is my third Commonwealth Games. I'll try to win a gold medal for the country. I'll work hard for it. All athletes have prepared well, I hope that we all perform very well because our performance has been good,” Bajrang Punia told ANI. Meanwhile, Ravi Kumar Dahiya, the Olympic silver medalist, was unstoppable in his 10-0 victory against Aman in the 57kg final. In the semi-finals, the Tokyo Olympic silver medalist defeated Vijay Patil.
After defeating Vicky in the semis, Deepak Punia dominated Sanjeet in the 86kg final match, winning 6-0. Other wrestlers that made the Indian men's freestyle wrestling team for the Commonwealth Games 2022 were Naveen (74kg), Deepak (97kg), and Mohit Grewal (125kg).
Naveen defeated Asian silver medalist Jitender Kumar and U-17 world champion Sagar Jaglan on his way to the 74kg final, when he defeated fellow Asian silver medalist Gourav Baliyan 12-2. In the semi-finals, World junior bronze medalist Deepak defeated Satyawart Kadian, a Commonwealth Games silver medalist and husband of Rio 2016 bronze medalist Sakshi Malik. He won the 97kg trials by blanking Sahil 10-0 in the final.
In the 125kg final, Mohit Grewal rallied from nowhere to overcome Satyender Malik 3-3 by earning the last point. On Monday, the Indian women's wrestling squad had their tryouts. Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik were selected for the Commonwealth Games. Indian wrestlers won five gold, three silver, and four bronze medals in the last Commonwealth Games in 2018, the greatest tally by any country's wrestlers.
MEN'S TEAM
Freestyle: Ravi Kumar Dahiya (57kg), Bajrang Punia (65kg), Naveen (74kg), Deepak Punia (86kg), Deepak (97kg), Mohit Grewal (125kg)