India is assured of at least winning a silver medal in the men’s freestyle wrestling 57kg category as Ravi Kumar Dahiya staged a great comeback against Kazakhstan’s Nurislam Sanayev to make his way to the final.
Ravi Kumar staged a grand comeback as he first reduced the deficit to 5-9 and then pinned the Kazakh wrestler down with a great move to eventually win the bout ‘by fall’. The bout started in a cagey fashion with both wrestlers registering points in the initial minutes of the first round. But Sanayev almost won the match as he registered 8 points in a row by pulling off the dreaded ‘fitele’ move.
Sanayez grabbed Ravi by the ankles and rolled the Indian wrestler four times, which gave him the 8 points to take the advantage to 9-2. But Ravi Kumar staged a grand comeback as he first reduced the deficit to 5-9, as he pushed the Kazakh out of the mat. This move of Ravi’s left Sanayez bamboozled as he also hurt his leg.
As for Deepak Punia, he lost to David Morris of the USA. Taylor comprehensively takes the bout and Deepak will now play for the bronze medal.