Sajan Bhanwal became India’s first Greco Roman wrestler to win two World Championships medals after he finished with a silver medal at 2018 Junior Wrestling World Championships in Trnava, Slovakia in the 77kg weight category on Tuesday.
Last year, Sajan had won the bronze medal in the same category at the Junior Worlds in Tampere.
While Sajan created history, his teammate Vijay ended his campaign with a bronze medal in the 55kg category as he pinned Cihat Ahmet Liman of Turkey in the third place playoff bout.
Sagar, who was competing in the 63kg category had to be contented with a fifth-place finish after he lost his bronze medal bout.
Sajan, the Junior Asian champion, had reach the final on Monday with an impressive 4-1 win over Ukraine’s Dmtryo Gardubei in the semi-final. Earlier, he had racked up wins over wrestlers from Italy, Estonia and Norway.
But he could not repeat his performance on Tuesday and suffered a 0-8 defeat to Russia’s Islam Opiev in the final inside two minutes. The defeat was a setback for Sajan and he said he needed to improve.
“The draw was such that I had easier path to final but it is still tough so I had a really good shot at winning the gold here. But I could not and now I will try to improve and get more medals,” Sajan said.
On Tuesday, India were confirmed of another medal as Vijay made his way to the final of the 60kg after beating Ali Reza Nejati in the semi-finals. He will now face defending champ Kerem Kamal of Turkey on Wednesday.
Wednesday will also see the women’s wrestling action get underway with five Indian wrestlers – Shivani Pawar, Anju, Anshu, Sonika Hooda and Nisha – in action.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!