‘Realised that some decisions were incorrect,’ WFI approaches UWW following Bajrang Punia’s defeat

Punia secured a spot for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after an impressive 8-1 win over North Korea’s Jong Son in a quarter-final march in the championships in Kazakhastan on Thursday.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Thursday wrote to United World Wrestling (UWW) following the defeat of Bajrang Punia in a World Wrestling Championships semi-final clash against Kazakhstan’s Daulet Niyazbekov.

India's Bajrang Poonia in action against Slovenia's David Habat at World Wrestling Championships in Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan. (PTI)

“We sent only a request to review the bout and in a reply, Friday morning the chairman of Officiation Commission realised that some decisions were incorrect and assured that special attention will be given to Indian bouts,” a WFI source told ANI.

Punia secured a spot for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after an impressive 8-1 win over North Korea’s Jong Son in a quarter-final march in the championships in Kazakhastan on Thursday.

Following that, the world number one wrestler had entered the semi-finals of the tournament in the 65-kg category. Both were locked at 9-9 at the end of the bout and Niyazbekov was declared a winner by the umpires.

This decision was criticised by 2012 Olympics bronze medallist wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt.

Dutt took to Twitter and wrote in Hindi: “Anyone can differentiate between right or wrong after watching the semi-final between Bajrang and Niyazbekov. Then why the umpire could not see? Such carelessness in a big tournament...Everyone saw that Kazakhstan was playing in a very wrong way.”