Commonwealth Games 2022: Deepak Punia beats 86kg defending champion, secures Indias third wrestling gold

Deepak Punia made history as he defeated 86kg defending champion in men’s freestyle wrestling, Muhammad Inam of Pakistan, in the final at the Commonwealth Games 2022. He defeated Inam 3-0 in the final of the CWG 2022 on Friday, August 5, clinching his first medal at the mega event.

The 23-year-old faced stark competition from the defending champion, however, he rose supreme by beating Muhammad Inam 3-0 in the match. His victory means that Punia has now delivered India its third gold medal in wrestling at the Commonwealth Games 2022. His win also increased India’s tally to 24, including nine gold medals, helping the country leapfrog Scotland to the fifth spot in the table.

Also Read: Commonwealth Games 2022: Bajrang Punia wins gold medal in wrestling

Deepak Punia began his Commonwealth Games 2022 campaign strongly, defeating Matthew Oxenham of New Zealand in the pre-quarterfinals by technical superiority. He continued his good form in the quarterfinal when he beat Sheku Kassegbama of Sierra Leone by technical superiority once again, advancing to the semifinals.

The young Indian wrestler knocked Canadian wrestler Alexander Moore in the semifinal in a 3-1 win. Punia faced Pakistan Muhammad Inam, who was also the defending champion in the category, in the final. After a tough competition, Deepak defeated his Pakistani opponent 3-0, clinching the gold medal.

Also Read: CWG 2022: Sakshi Malik claims India’s second wrestling gold medal

He became the third Indian wrestler to win the gold medal at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 after Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik bagged the first two. He is also the fourth Indian wrestler to win a medal at the CWG 2022, and his victory over the defending champion in the final only added to the glory of the Indian wrestling contingent.

At the time of writing this article, Divya Kakran won the bronze medal at her event, becoming the fifth Indian wrestler to win a medal at the tournament. This means that Mohit Grewal remains the final Indian wrestler in contention to win a medal at the mega event, who will face Aaron Johnson of Jamaica in the bronze medal match.