Wrestling national trials: How Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya – Tokyo medalists – were stunned as Next-Gen steps up on day of upsets

Three times Rohit bent down and touched Bajrang Punia’s feet after he had defeated the knackered-out Olympic bronze medalist 9-3. Rohit, a former national champion in the 65 kg category, did not gloat over the big win. The Bajrang he fought during the national trials on Sunday wasn’t the force he once was, Rohit voiced.

“The last time I competed against him, Bajrang was strong and fast. Today was different,” Rohit said after his first win over Bajrang.

Sunday was a day of upsets at the wrestling national trials at SAI Sonipat. Bajrang’s loss to go with Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Ravi Dahiya’s and the next generation stepping up to represent India in Asian and World Olympic qualifiers was also the storyline of the trials.

Rohit will remember the day as being bitter-sweet. His loss in the final to the current national champion Sujeet Kalkal, the under 23 Asian champion, was a setback.

There was also a passing of the baton between two Chhatrasal trainees in the 57 kg. Aman Sehrawat, a star-in-the-making, beat Dahiya for the first time. The 57 kg trials were conducted in the Nordic format and Sehrawat and Dahiya were in the same group. The anticipated clash between an established star and a future one lived up to its billing. Dahiya, despite training only for a couple of months before the trials after an ACL injury and surgery gave it his all but lost by the narrowest of margins – first to Sehrawat and then Under-20 Asian Champion Udit.

Despite a late fightback from Dahiya, Aman edged out the senior wrestler 14-13. Dahiya almost turned the tables from 13-4 with an eight-point surge. Dahiya then lost 8-10 to Udit which ended his chance of entering the semifinals. Udit too, like Rohit did when he beat Bajrang, touched Dahiya’s feet at the end of the bout.

Despite a late fightback from Dahiya, Aman edged out the senior wrestler 14-13. (Gajendra Yadav/Express Photo)

Dahiya had made last-ditch video referrals in both bouts but the judge’s decision didn’t go his way.

A little later, Bajrang too lost the semifinal to make it a day to forget for the struggling Olympic medallist. Bajrang took a few moments to soak in what happened and then walked out of the wrestling hall and into a waiting car.

Neither did Bajrang, or his opponent Vishal Kaliraman turn up for the third-fourth place playoff bout. Bajrang looked rusty when he just about managed to beat Ravinder in his first bout, which ended 3-3 but was awarded to the senior wrestler on criteria.

Both Olympic medallists have had setbacks over the past year. Bajrang, one of the prominent faces of the protest against former Wrestling Federation of India president, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh lost out on training time last year. He was exempted from the Asian Games trials but returned empty-handed from Hangzhou. In preparation for the trials, Bajrang trained in Dagestan, a wrestling hub but the 30-year-old looked like a shadow of himself.

Dahiya is back on the mat after recovering from an ACL injury that required surgery. Though he won a bronze in January at a Grand Prix in Nice it was in the 61kg category. Aman, now sharper and quicker, and with his first win over the senior wrestlers seems to be ready to take over the reins in the 57kg category.

Like Aman, the other young wrestler to watch out for is Sujeet from Dadri. Before the Asian Games he had challenged the exemptions from trials for Bajrang. He has emerged as the one to beat after becoming national champion in February and winning the trials a month later. Both Aman and Sujeet used the fitley (leg-lace) move to stun their respective opponents in the final.

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“Today I got an opportunity to showcase my talent and skill and I gave it my best,” Sujeet said. “The 57kg and 65kg are two categories in which India is strong at the Olympics. It is a big responsibility now that I am going for the Olympic trials. It gives me joy, but at the same time I know it will be tough,” Sujeet said.

He will step into the big shoes of a four-time world championship medalist and an Olympic medalist. Even if he wins a quota place for the Olympics, Sujeet will have to beat the winner of the trials at the end of May to guarantee his Paris trip. On the walls of the Sushil Kumar-Yogeshwar Dutt Wrestling hall were life-size posters of giants of the sport with medals in their hands. Sujeet, like Aman, has a high bar to cross.

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