Indian Wrestlers won Three Medals on Day 1, No Medals on Day 2 of Asian Wrestling Championships 2024
Indian wrestlers had a mixed bag at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2024 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. They secured three medals on the opening day but failed to win any on the second day.
Day 1 Roundup: Three Medals for India
Udit led the charge for India, clinching a silver medal in the men’s 57kg freestyle category. He dominated the initial rounds with victories over wrestlers from Iran, Kyrgyzstan, and North Korea.
However, he fell short in a thrilling final against Japan’s Kento Yumiya, losing by a narrow 4-5 margin. This silver medal marks Udit’s second at the senior level.
India’s medal tally grew with bronze medals secured by Abhimanyu (70kg) and Vicky (97kg). Abhimanyu edged out Uzbekistan’s Begijon Kuldashev in a close 6-5 bout for the bronze, while Vicky overpowered Andrei Aronov with a convincing 10-1 victory.
Rohit (65kg) narrowly missed out on a podium finish, losing to Japan’s Masanosuke Ono in the bronze medal match.
Parvinder Singh (79kg) couldn’t progress further after a first-round defeat to Japan’s Ryunosuke Kamiya.
India’s Performance Compared to Previous Editions
The 2024 edition marks a slight dip in India’s performance compared to the 2023 Championships, where they secured 3 medals, including a gold medal in Freestyle category .
The 57 kg category, which had consistently yielded gold medals for India from 2020 to 2023, could only manage a silver this year.
Day 2 Recap: No Medals for India
A total of five Indian wrestlers participated in various categories on Day 2, but unfortunately, none of them were able to secure a medal.
● Akash Dahiya (61kg) finished in fifth place after defeats in the semi-final and bronze medal match.
● Yash (74kg) secured a victory in the qualification round but couldn’t progress beyond the quarter-final stage.
● Sandeep Singh Mann (86kg) and Vinay (92kg) bowed out of the competition after first-round defeats.
● Anirudh Kumar (125kg) won his qualification round but lost in the quarter-final and bronze medal match. He had won Bronze in previous edition.
Looking Ahead: Day 3 Focuses on Women’s Wrestling
The focus shifts to Day 3, where India’s female wrestlers will take center stage. They will compete across various weight categories (50kg, 55kg, 59kg, 68kg, and 76kg) with qualification rounds, semi-finals, repechage matches, and finals scheduled to begin from 11:00 AM IST.
Total Indian Wrestlers Participating
A total of 30 Indian wrestlers, 10 each for women’s, men’s freestyle, and Greco-Roman categories, are competing at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2024.
Written By Ishant Garg
