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Punia, Dahiya slump reflects India’s struggle at Worlds
The country’s top two wrestlers have looked a pale shadow of themselves at the World Championships in Belgrade.
A day after Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya’s shock exit from the wrestling world championships in Belgrade, Tokyo bronze medallist Bajrang Punia also lost tamely in the quarter-finals of the premier event. Bajrang struggled to even put himself in scoring positions, losing 0-10 to Yianni Diakomihalis of USA in 65kg. Dahiya was stunned via technical superiority (10-0) by Gulomjon Abdullaev in the pre-quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Bajrang got a shot at repechage after Diakomihalis reached the final beating Sebastian C Rivera of Puerto Rico 10-0. Going by his display on Saturday, Bajrang will need to drastically improve in his two bouts to have any chance of bringing home a bronze.
Both wrestlers had won gold last month at the Commonwealth Games though the competition in Birmingham is not a patch on the high quality of contests in Belgrade among the world's best. For India, it has only been disappointment mostly. For the first time in the last three editions no Indian has made it to the final.
After world No 2 Dahiya bowed out without a medal, hopes rested on Bajrang. The manner of their defeats though has left with lot to ponder. Bajrang barely survived against Alejandro Enrique Valdes 5-4. The two-time worlds bronze medallist from Cuba brought down Bajrang for two points before the latter scrambled to draw level. Bajrang received a cut and was bandaged. In the second period, Bajrang added three points but Valdes furiously launched into attack in the dying stages and came agonisingly close.
The seasoned Indian’s next opponent Yianni had beaten him at the peak of his powers in a promotional event at Madison Square Garden, New York in 2019. Punia was a different beast then—an explosion of power and pace. None of that was on show in Serbia. His reflexes were slow and his legs were easy to attack for Yianni, who kept scoring through push-outs and takedowns. Yianni was up 4-0 in the first period and finished off with a minute to go in the second period.
India’s only medal until Saturday was Vinesh Phogat’s bronze and the showing in Belgrade will cause worry as the wrestlers build up for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Punia, 28, a three-time worlds medallist, has had a tough 12 months. He hurt his right knee before the Olympics and yet managed a bronze. He then injured his left knee. He hasn’t been the same force since then. He blamed officials for not providing a full-time travelling physio. He delayed his comeback and pulled out of a ranking series in Istanbul in February. The selection trials at home also proved a close affair. Bajrang revealed the injury even impacted his mind. He returned at the Asian championships where Iran’s Rahmad Mousa Amouzadkhalili, the junior world champion, beat him 3-1 in the final.
Dahiya has spoken about recovery issues after cutting weight to compete in 57kg. Earlier this year, Gulomjon Abdullaev of Uzbekistan had troubled him in the final of a ranking event in Istanbul. He cruised at the Asian championships earlier this year. He was a favourite at the Worlds but had no answer to Abdullaev’s fast attacks and counters. Dahiya ran out of options and went for attacks only to concede points. The loss will be a vital lesson for Dahiya with the Paris Olympics qualification scheduled for next year.
