India goes empty handed on final day of Asian Wrestling Championships

Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) March 4 (IANS) The Indian campaign at the Senior Asian Wrestling Championships finished with a whimper here on Sunday as the grapplers could not take any medals on the last day of the event.

The Indians thus finished with a medals tally of one gold one silver and six bronze.

On Sunday India s Shravan was thrashed 0-10 by Kazuya Koyanagi of Japan in the quarter-finals of the men s 61 kilogram freestyle category.

But Shravan qualified for the bronze medal play-off after the Japanese made it to the final.

The Indian produced a strong fight in the bronze medal play-off holding Abbos Rakhmonov of Uzbekistan to a 6-6 tie. But the Uzbek wrestler was declared the winner as he had taken the final point.

Deepak Punia also lost in the bronze medal play-off in the men s 86kg freestyle division.

He had started his campaign in promising fashion by overpowering Wisam Shakir Mahmood of Iraq in the opening round.

But a 0-7 loss to Uitumen Orgodol of Mongolia in the quarter-finals saw him crash of the fight for the gold.

Punia however did well in the repechage round where he defeated Shota Shirai of Japan 7-2 to enter the bronze medal match where he was thrashed 0-10 China s Shengfeng Bi.

In the men s 74kg freestyle category Parveen Rana crashed out in the opening round after being outclassed 0-5 by Mostafa Mohabbali Hosseinkhani of Iran.

Meanewhile Somveer lost 0-10 to Zushen Li of China in the quarter-finals the 92kg freestyle category while Sumit (125kg)lost in the opening round to Koungjin Nam of South Korea.

--IANS
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