Bajrang Punia And Sakshi Malik’s Twin Wrestling Golds Boost India’s Commonwealth Games Tally | Commonwealth Games News

Bajrang Punia gave India its first gold medal within the sport of wrestling on the ongoing Commonwealth Video games 2022, as he beat Canada’s Lachlan McNeil within the males’s 65kg freestyle wrestling ultimate. A couple of minutes later, 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik outwitted Canada’s Ana Gonzalez within the girls’s 62kg class so as to add a second gold from the game for India. The enjoyment on the mat did not finish there as Deepak Punia added the third gold of the night time by beating Pakistan’s Muhammad Inam within the males’s 86kg class.

Bajrang is an Olympic bronze medallist (Tokyo 2020) and in addition has one other gold and a silver medal within the Commonwealth Video games to his identify. He has one silver and two bronze medals to his identify in World Championships. Bajrang began his Commonwealth Video games profession with a silver within the 61kg class in Glasgow in 2014. He gained a silver in Asian Video games in Incheon, the identical yr. He moved as much as the 65kg class in 2018 and gained the gold at CWG in Gold Coast and adopted it up with an Asiad gold in Jakarta. The largest second of his profession got here in 2021 when he turned an Olympic medallist, choosing up the bronze in Tokyo.

For Sakshi Malik alternatively, this can be a first gold medal at CWG. She gained a silver within the 58kg class in 2014 and a bronze within the 62kg class in 2018.

For Deepak, a World Championships silver medallist in 2019, this can be a first main gold medal at a senior occasion.

It was a technically excellent bout from Bajrang within the ultimate as he beat the Canadian 9-2 on factors.

Such was Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang’s dominance within the 65kg competitors that he gained three of his 4 bouts inside first rounds.

The 28-year-old defending champion beat Naurau’s Lowe Bingham and Mauritius’ Jean Guyliane Joris Bandou ‘by fall’ earlier than successful by technical superiority in opposition to England’s Geroge Ramm.

Canada’s Lachlan Maurice McNeil fought effectively in opposition to Bajrang however the Indian was far superior in approach and stamina.

Bajrang has been struggling to play freely since final yr and his over defensive techniques put a question-mark over his capability to increase his dominance in worldwide area however on Friday he made his strikes with out inhibition.

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Nonetheless, the CWG shouldn’t be one of the best platform to evaluate if Bajrang has obtained his mojo again due to the inferior discipline high quality.

(With PTI inputs)