When thinking of the sports talents from the state, the first individuals that come to mind are the wrestlers striving in the akharas. Over the past decade, these wrestlers have bestowed a distinctive identity upon Haryana, garnering fame for the country on the international stage. At the global level, both boys and girls from Haryana are fervently pursuing medals for their nation.
However, this time, a feud that erupted in wrestling prior to the Asian Games also impacted the wrestlers’ performances.
As a result, the wrestlers were unable to replicate their golden success. While Deepak Punia provided hope with a silver medal and five others secured bronze, they fell short of clinching gold, similar to the past two Asian Games.
Continuous controversies adversely affected Bajrang Punia’s preparation. Consequently, he could not replicate his previous stellar performance in Hangzhou. After losing in the semi-finals, he faced elimination in the wrestling match for the bronze medal. In addition to him, 17 other wrestlers included in the Indian team also fell short of securing gold.
Year 2023: An 18-member Indian contingent participated in Hangzhou. Deepak Punia secured a silver medal, and the only other wrestler to win a medal in freestyle was Aman Sehrawat, who claimed bronze. Sunil Dabarpur earned a bronze medal in Greco-Roman. Although the girls performed well, including Panghal, Sonam Malik, and Kiran, who won bronze medals, they couldn’t match Vinesh’s previous performance.
Year 2018: Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat clinched two gold medals for the country in the Asian Games held in Jakarta. Divya Kakran also contributed with a bronze medal. In total, there were three medals, with two
being gold.
Year 2014: Wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt brought glory to the nation at the Asian Games in Incheon. Alongside him, Bajrang Punia secured a silver medal. Narsingh Yadav, Vinesh Phogat, and Geetika Jakhar also succeeded in winning bronze medals.
