Bajrang Punia Bags Silver In World Wrestling Championships, First Indian To Win Two Medals

Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia won the silver medal despite losing his 65-Kg Freestyle Final of the World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Monday (22 October). The 24-year-old Wrestler was favourite to win the Final against a 19-year old Japanese Takuto Otoguro, but went down fighting, Times of India has reported.

Had he won, he would have been the second Indian after Sushil Kumar to win a Gold Medal in the World Championships.

After his Semi-Final victory over Alejandro Valdes Tobier of Cuba, Punia was on route to emulate Sushil Kumar’s performance in Moscow 8 years ago. However, a Gold medal at the World Championships remained elusive for the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games champion.

Punia went down 0-5 within minutes after the start of the final. However, at the end of the first period, was trailing by just one point at 6-7. Punia only won 3 points in the second period as he went down 9-16 to the teenager from Tokyo. Takuto Otoguro at 19, now takes the title as his country's youngest world champion from Legendary Yuji Takada,

Punia had won bronze in 2013 World Championships, and this time around, he has done one rank better. The Semi-Final win made sure he is the only Indian wrestler to win two medals at the World Championships. At 24, he still does have the chance to be a gold medallist and make it three medals at the World Championships.