Indian Greco-Roman wrestlers experienced a disheartening day at the Asian Championships, failing to secure any medals in the competition. The penultimate day witnessed all five Indian contestants exiting the tournament without advancing to the medal rounds, marking a forgettable outing for the team.
Arjun Halakurki (55kg), Umesh (63kg), Sajan (77kg), Ajay (87kg), and Mehar Singh (130kg) faced early eliminations, with none of them managing to reach the repechage round, thus ending their hopes for a bronze medal.
Arjun’s journey ended in the pre-quarterfinals as he succumbed to Iraq’s Sajjad Ali Mukasr Albidhan by technical superiority. Similarly, Umesh faced a tough challenge against Iraqi wrestler Karrar Abbas Mukasr Albeedhan, losing the bout 0-7 on points.
Although Sajan secured a convincing victory in his opening bout against Singapore’s Gadiel Raid Al Qudrah Misso, his journey came to a halt in the quarterfinals against Croatia’s Amir Ali Abdi, who proved technically superior.
In the 87kg category, Ajay faced a defeat by points against South Korea’s Seunghwan Lee, while Mehar Singh fell short in his 130kg qualification bout against Islomjon Rakhmatov of Uzbekistan, losing 2-3 on points.
Despite the setbacks in Greco-Roman wrestling, Indian women wrestlers have showcased commendable performances in the championship, securing a total of six medals – three silver and three bronze. Meanwhile, in the men’s freestyle category, India managed to clinch a silver medal through Udit (57kg), while Abhimanyu (70kg) and Vicky (97kg) secured bronze medals in their respective weight classes.