Punia takes India’s first wrestling gold

Commonwealth champion Bajrang Punia gave India its first Asian Games gold in 65kg wrestling yesterday after veteran Sushil Kumar suffered a shock first-round exit in Jakarta. Punia, who won a silver at the 2014 edition in Incheon, battled past Japan’s Daichi Takatini 11-8 in a hard-fought final bout.

Punia attacked from the word go to lead by 6-0 in the first minute of play, before the Japanese wrestler closed the gap through a series of counter attacks.

But the Indian, who lost to Takatini in the quaterfinals of the Asian Championships in March, prevailed to give his country the first gold of the 18th edition of the Asiad. “I have taken revenge of my Asian Championship loss and I dedicate my gold to late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee (who passed away on August 16),” an emotional Punia told reporters.