An Olympic wrestler was seen biting his opponent during their match.
In shocking scenes, India’s Ravi Kumar Dahiya defeated Kazakhstan’s Nurislam Sanayev in their 57kg men’s freestyle semi-final bout, but not before the latter decided to be a little naughty.
The Kazak athlete was comfortably winning the match 9-2, before Dahiya staged a superb comeback in what was an inspirational performance.
After winning an impressive eight points in a row, the 23-year-old had his opponent pinned to the mat in the closing stages.
The two-time world wrestling championship medalist then sunk his teeth into his opponent’s bicep, but it did not deter Dahiya who came away with the win and progressed to the gold medal match, marking a momentous day for Indian wrestling.
A member of the Indian wrestling team’s support staff revealed he was given an ice pack after the fight to treat the bite, which was causing Dahiya some pain.
Despite the win, the wrestler told news outlet Press Trust of India post-match he was not satisfied with his performance, but remained focused on his next bout.
“I had no business conceding that much lead against Sanayev. I am not happy with it," he said.
“I still have some unfinished business to do. I came with a target here and that is not complete yet.”
However, the two-time Asian Wrestling Champion was unable to add a gold medal to his resume after he was beaten by Russia’s Zavur Uguev by seven points to four in the final.
The frustration was etched on Dahiya’s face and even put his medal in his pocket after the ceremony.
He told reporters: “I’m happy. But this medal is not what I came here for.
“Last time also I lost to him. So, this time I had prepared with him in mind. There’s still work to do, as this result shows."
This is not the first time a wrestler has tried to bite an opponent during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Last week Moroccan boxer Youness Baalla attempted to bite the ear of his opponent David Nyika, from New Zealand, but settled for his cheek instead.
