Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia took home the bronze medal after beating Kazakhstan’s Daulet Niyazbekov 8-0 in the men’s freestyle 65kg category at the 2020 Toyko Olympics. Owing to this, India got its sixth medal at the Summer Games.

If his defence let him down in the semifinal against Hazi Aliev, Bajrang’s smart attacking moves made him an 8-0 winner against Kazakhstan’s Niyazbekov, to whom he had lost in the semifinals of the 2019 World Championship.

With Bajrang’s medal, Indian wrestlers have matched their best performance at the Olympic Games. At the 2012 London Games, Sushil Kumar won a silver and Yogeshwar Dutt returned with a bronze.

With his podium, India also equalled their best ever Olympic medal haul of six achieved in the 2012 London edition.

Bajrang earned the first point on the passivity of Niyazbekov as standing wrestling was on display.

The Indian initiated a right-leg attack but Niyazbekov had the Indian in a headlock. Bajrang freed himself from the position and earned another point by pushing out the Kazakhstan wrestler, leading 2-0 at the end of first period.

His right-leg attack again did not convert into points with Niyazbekov again stopping him with his headlock.

Bajrang kept attacking and finally executed a take-down with a right-leg attack. He repeated the move for a commanding 6-0 lead and took it away from Niyazbekov with another move on the left-leg.

Niyazbekov was surprisingly very subdued after coming to the Play-off round with a win in the repechage round.

Bajrang had defeated Kyrgyzstan’s Ernazar Akmataliev and Iran’s Morteza Cheka Ghiasi before losing to Hazai Aliev from Azerbaijan in the semifinals on Friday.

In the semi-final match, Rio Olympics bronze-winner Aliev of Azerbaijan consistently attacked Bajrang’s legs and twice got himself into position from where he could roll the Indian comfortably for easy two-point throws.

Trailing 1-4 after the first period, Bajrang looked for a big attack but Aliev effected a counter takedown, placing his shoulder close to the thighs of Bajrang and threw the Indian for a huge 8-1 lead.

The Azerbaijani was losing steam and Bajrang got two take-downs to reduce the deficit but the required big move never came. Under 30 seconds left in the bout, Bajrang desperately looked for an attack but Aliev did not let him do that by gripping him in a strong body lock.

Currently ranked world number 1 ranking in the 65kg category, he achieved the ranking after he won a silver medal at the 2018 World Wrestling Championship. He booked his Tokyo Olympics berth after taking home a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championship.