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World Wrestling Championships 2019: Bajrang Punia, Ravi Kumar Win Bronze Medals

Putting behind the disappointment of a heartbreaking semi-final defeat to finish with a bronze at Wrestling World Championships in Nur-Sultan on Friday, India’s Bajrang Punia defeated Mongolia’s Tulga Ochir 8-7 in the bronze medal match of 65kg freestyle category.

World Wrestling Championships 2019

Bajrang Punia now has 3 World Championships medals, including podium finishes in successive editions. The Asian Games gold medallist had won his first World Championships medal — a bronze in 2013. He finished with a silver in 2018 in Budapest.

Punia had secured a spot for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Thursday after an impressive 8-1 win over North Korea’s Jong Son in the tournament.

Meanwhile, the twenty-two-year-old debutant Ravi Kumar won a bronze medal in the World Wrestling Championships on Friday. Ravi defeated Reza Atrinagharchi of Iran 6-3 in the 57kg freestyle bronze medal match. Apart from sealing the Tokyo Olympic quota berth in the 57kg freestyle event, Ravi Kumar’s performances in Nur-Sultan is a big confidence-booster for India. Previously, the wrestler had won a medal in the junior championships.

Bajrang Punia, Ravi Kumar Win Bronze Medals

With Kumar’s win, India now has three medals in the event and has secured three Olympic quotas. SAI Media tweeted, “Ravi wins bronze! Congratulations to 22 yr-old debutant #RaviKumar as he beats Iran’s #RezaAtrinagharchi 6-3 to win bronze in men’s 57 kg at World #Wrestling C’ships. He was a World Jr. medalist earlier. India has won 3 medals & 3 #OlympicQuota(s) in this event.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Vinesh Phogat became the first Indian wrestler to qualify for the Olympics and she would be competing in the 53-kg category. She had bagged gold medals in the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. In the 2018 Asian Games, she had clinched a gold medal in the 50-kg category as well.

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