Ready to go back to my attacking self again: Bajrang

Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist wrestler says his confidence has returned after knee injury setback.

It has been a strange year for wrestler Bajrang Punia. The Olympic bronze medallist has been largely low key, competing only at the Asian Championships in Ulaanbaatar and Bolat Turlykhanov Cup in Almaty, failing to win gold in either. A knee injury further dented his confidence, forcing him to question his every move on the mat.

Bajrang Punia(PTI)

However, the 28-year-old claims to have put all of that behind him as he gears up for Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Birmingham. Excerpts from a chat:

Tell us about your preparations for the CWG?

My preparations are going absolutely fine. I am training in the Michigan University campus in the US. I am familiar with the venue as I have already trained here before the Olympics. I have 4-5 good sparring partners, mostly from the US, who test my skills and endurance. Overall, I am quite satisfied with the way I am shaping up ahead of CWG.

Leg defence has been an issue for you in the past. Is there anything extra you're doing to address that?

Not really. Look, every wrestler has his strengths and weaknesses. I agree my leg defence is not perfect, but I have worked really hard to strengthen it. Technical overhaul at this stage is not possible; that can be done only when you are starting out. I trust my style and am working on my overall game. I have learned to live with such things. I have worked really hard to plug the gaps in my grappling, and I am ready to go back to my attacking self again.

How are your knees holding up?

Absolutely fine. After the injury at the Yasar Dogu event in Turkey this year, I had become very circumspect. Wrestling is an injury-prone sport and every grappler will be injured at some point, but it should not bog you down. My knee injury had started playing on my mind. I was not sure when to attack and when to defend, and whether my knee will be able to hold up. But after the advanced physical tests that I got done in India sometime back, the confidence is back.

You have competed in only two international events this year, and are yet to win a gold in 2022. Do you think that's a problem?

I don't think about it too much. I prefer to look ahead. I had to miss competitions because of the injury, and injuries are not in my control. I am committed to do well at the Commonwealth Games and World Championships.

What do you think of the level of competition at CWG?

A lot of people say it's an easy event, and there may be some truth in it too, but athletes don't look at competitions that way. There are no free passes at the international level. You have to take each competition seriously and show respect to your opponents. I have competed in two CWGs, and I couldn't win gold in 2014. Besides, anything can happen in wrestling even in the last second, so I am not taking anything for granted.

What goals have you set for yourself for CWG?

I want to win the gold and I know I am capable to do it. But more importantly, I want to do my best. I am not dwelling over the possible results too much. If there's one thing that the ups and downs in my career have taught me, it is that anybody can have a bad day against anyone. If you give your best even on your worst day and still lose, that's fine. The important thing is to leave everything you have on the mat and walk away with zero regrets.