HARYANA: Tokyo Games medalists Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya fixed in fresh trouble after eliminating from the Paris Olympics qualification, suffering defeats in the selection trials held in Haryana.
Despite their impressive performances in Tokyo, Punia’s loss to Rohit Kumar in the men’s freestyle 65kg category and Dahiya’s defeat in the men’s 57kg category have cast doubts on their participation in upcoming tournaments.
The hopes of Punia, were dealt a blow during the selection trials for the Paris Olympics. Facing off against Rohit Kumar in the men’s freestyle 65kg category semifinal, Punia endured a significant setback with a resounding 1-9 defeat.
Despite a narrow victory in an earlier round, Punia’s prospects were clouded by stiff competition.
In a further setback, despite securing a legal victory in the Delhi High Court against the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) authority to conduct trials and refusing a dope test by NADA officials, Punia was unable to secure his spot in the Paris Olympics qualification.
Meanwhile, Dahiya, a Tokyo Silver Games silver medalist, faced a similar fate in the selection trials. In a closely contested opening bout against rising star Aman Sehrawat in the men’s 57kg category, Dahiya suffered a narrow defeat, with Aman emerging victorious with a score of 13-14.
Dahiya’s subsequent loss to U20 Asian champion Udit sealed his elimination from the trail, marking a disappointing turn of events for the promising wrestler.
The defeats suffered by Punia and Dahiya in the selection trials for the Paris Olympics proved to be fraught with challenges, underscoring the fierce competition and the imperative for consistent top-level performance.
