Deepak Punia Secures Third Silver at Asian Championship
Punia's Remarkable Performance
Deepak Punia clinched his third silver medal at the Asian Championship, marking his fifth overall medal at this prestigious event, which concluded on Sunday. The 25-year-old wrestler, who missed out on qualifying for the Paris Olympics, showcased his resilience by battling through tough matches in the 92kg category.
In the quarterfinals, Punia faced a challenging opponent in Bekzat Rakhimov from Kyrgyzstan but managed to secure a 12-7 victory in a thrilling contest. He then went on to face Japan’s Takashi Ishiguro, whom he defeated decisively with an 8-1 scoreline. However, in the final match against Iran’s top-ranked Amirhossein B Firouzpourbandpei, Punia was unable to clinch the gold, losing by technical superiority.
Meanwhile, Udit, competing in the 61kg category, achieved a solid win against China’s Wanhao Zou with a score of 2-0 after a previous victory of 9-6 against Bekbolot Myrzanzar Uulu from Kyrgyzstan. In the gold medal match, Udit narrowly lost 4-6 to the world No. 1, Takara Suda.
Additionally, Dinesh and Mukul Dahiya faced defeats in their respective bronze medal matches.