Wrestling
Who will Deepak Punia face in the bronze medal match?
Either Ali Shabanau or Amine Myles Nazem will face the ace Indian wrestler for a shot to stand on the podium.
Deepak Punia in action agaisnt David Taylor in semifinal at Tokyo Olympics (Source: Reuters)
Deepak Punia had an unfortunate end to his Olympic gold medal campaign but still has an opportunity to get on the podium as he enters the Bronze medal match against either Shabanau Ali of Belarus or Amine Myles Nazem of San Marino.
Both were opponents of American Taylor Morris, who defeated Punia in the semifinals to move onto the finals, allowing the two wrestlers to qualify for the bronze medal match under the new repechage rules.
Under the new rules, the two wrestlers will have to face off against each other to earn an opportunity to face Punia for the bronze medal. The repechage rule was created to allow athletes to get over lopsided draws and give them another opportunity to stand on the podium.
Myles Nazem is a European Championship silver medalist and has the best chance of going ahead with his fiery style and ability to make a comeback.
Shabanu Ali, a bronze medalist in the European Championship and the World Championship, comes into this bout as the underdog. His experience will be key to his chances of advancing further.
Deepak Punia does not have an easy path to the bronze as both wrestlers are capable of beating the best on their day irrespective of who goes on to face him. Punia will come out with a vengeance after a disappointing display against Taylor.
