HANGZHOU: Bajrang Punia was offered exemption from the selection trials for the Asian Games on the grounds that the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist was the country's best bet for a gold in the men's freestyle 65kg competition at the Hangzhou.
Indian Olympic Association (IOA)-led ad-hoc panel, headed by India's chef-de-mission (CDM) at the Games, Bhupender Singh Bajwa, felt that Bajrang and Vinesh Phogat have the skills, experience and mental fortitude to claim another top of the podium finish for India.
This despite the fact that the two spent a major part of the year protesting on the streets against the former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh - who was accused of sexually harassing six female grapplers - and were completely out of the competition mindset.
The promising Vishal Kaliraman, who had topped the trials in Bajrang's category and the one who was in regular practice, wasn't considered for selection despite his repeated pleas to authorities to name him in the Asiad bound squad. Vinesh, who too was spared from the trials, suffered an injury ahead of the Games and pulled out of the event, offering her reserve in the women's 53kg category, Antim Panghal, a chance to compete, which the two-time junior world champion happily grabbed and will return home with an impressive bronze.
For many in the Indian sports administration, Bajrang was an outright pretournament favourite who was primed to defend his title won in Jakarta 2018. However, Bajrang failed to live up to the hype and lost his bronze medal bout to Japan's Kaiki Yamaguchi on technical superiority without scoring a single point.
However, he ran into former world champion and reigning Asian champion Rahman Amouzadkhalili of Iran in the last-four stage bout and lost 1-8 in a lop-sided contest.
While Bajrang's defeat would have come as an eye opener to many, it was Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Ravi Dahiya's heir apparent, Aman Sehrawat, who impressed the most with his excellent mat work.
