Wrestling
U23 World Wrestling: Sajan secures India's first ever Greco Roman medal
Sajan Bhanwala created history by winning India's first-ever medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the U23 World Championships.
Sajan Bhanwala, on Tuesday, created history by winning India's first-ever medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the U23 World Championships. He achieved this feat as he clinched the bronze medal in men's 77kg at the ongoing edition of the worlds in Spain.
Sajan seemed far from his best in the bronze medal contest against Ukraine's Dmytro Vasetskyi as he trailed 4-10 in the bout. The 23-year-old, however, counter-attacked well and bounced back with a massive 4-point move in the closing stages of the bout to earn a place on the podium with a 10-10 victory by points.
Sajan had earlier lost to Moldova's Alexandrin Gutu 0-8 in the pre-quarterfinals after a 3-0 win over Aistis Liaugminas in the first round. The Moldovan's run into the final of men's 77kg Greco Roman, however, meant that the Indian was handed a lifeline via the repechage system.
He defeated Kazakhstan's Rassul Zhunis in 9-6 in the repechage, before leaving a mark in the bronze medal contest by becoming India's first Greco-Roman medallist in the U23 World Wrestling Championships history.
Sajan's medal in the tournament comes in the backdrop of the ongoing controversy wherein more than 20 Indian wrestlers including junior world champion Antim Panghal have been denied visa by the Spanish government to compete in the ongoing U23 World Championships in the nation.