Ravi Dahiya, and Deepak Punia won their respective rounds, and Anshu Malik lost her first bout against Iryna Kurachkina of Belarus
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Ravi Kumar Dahiya defeated Colombia’s Oscar Eduardo Tigreros Urbano 13-2, based on technical superiority at the Tokyo Olympics. Dahiya will now face Bulgaria’s Vangelov Georgi Valentinov in the quarterfinals. With this win, he has become a strong contender for the medal along with Bajrang Punia. Dahiya seeded No. 4th at Tokyo and plays the freestyle 57kg category event. Two-time Asian champion Dahiya had a great draw and reach semi-finals without any trouble.
Dahiya in blue and Urbano in red, both wrestlers took their time to start the attack. It was Ravi Dahiya who got the first two points and Urbano leveled things up with a reverse takedown. At the interval, Ravi Kumar had a sleak 3-2 lead.
Ravi Kumar Dahiya started the second period like he was on a mission– to move ahead, and he did. In the second round, he changed his strategy– he became quicker on his feet and was quick to collect two more points. The Indian wrestler added to his tally by throwing the Colombian wrestler out of bounds. Ravi led 9-2 versus Urbano.
It was only a matter of time that the Indian wins on technical superiority, and he did. A double takedown by the Indian and Urbano had no answer. Dahiya took a massive lead of 11-2 with a minute left on the clock. Two more to make it 13-2 and he wins on technical superiority.
India’s Anshu Malik went against European Champion Iryna Kurachkina of Belarus in the women’s freestyle 57kg category. The 19-year-old Indian wrestler is making her debut at the Tokyo Olympics. Kurachkina, on the other hand, is the No. 3 seed and a much-experienced wrestler. Anshu Malik was in for a tough bout. The bout started with Anshu and Belursian gauging each other, looking for an opening to attack. Passivity was given to Malik. Anshu had to score a point, and having failed to do so, one point to European Champion on account of passivity.
Belarusian was all out on her attack and was pinning Anshu the moment she was an opening. In round 2 Anshu looked like she was in better shape. Anshu Malik finally gets some grip, and scored just two points, in a better second round. Indian still trails 2-4. With a great reversal by Belarus Indian trails 2-6. Anshu Malik is beaten 2-6 by Belarussian Iryna Kurachkina in the 1/8 Final women’s freestyle 57kg. If Kurachkina reaches the gold medal match, Anshu will get a chance at repechage.
Deepak Punia went up against Ekerekeme Agiomor of Nigeria in his 1/8 Final bout in Men’s Freestyle 86kg. Agiomor holds the title of being a three-time African Championships medallist. He is the fifth Nigerian wrestler to qualify for an Olympics. Meanwhile, Deepak is a silver medallist at the 2019 World Wrestling Championship. The match was won by India 12-1 and with sheer domination.
It’s the Indian who got the first point to put the Nigerian on the backfoot, with a gut-wrench takedown. Punia was 2-0 up with four minutes left on the clock. Agiomor takes the first point to narrow down the lead and got a point, making it 2-1. After going into the break-up by 4-1, Deepak maintains his momentum and takes a lead to six points.
In the men’s freestyle 86kg category, Deepak Punia, the world number two, beats Ekerekeme Agiomor of Nigeria 12-1 to enter the quarter-finals of the freestyle 86kg category. He will next face China’s, Zushen Lin.
