PWL: Jaipur thrash Delhi to go joint top

New Delhi: Jaipur Ninjas thrashed Delhi Sultans 5-2 in a one-sided Pro Wrestling League (PWL) tie at the KD Jadhav Stadium here on Friday evening. Jaipur now share the top spot with last years runner-up Haryana Hammers. Both teams have four points each after two ties. The highlight of the contest was the much awaited bout in the womens 58 kilogram category which featured Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik. Sakshi did not disappoint her fans by claiming a comprehensive 16-0 win over Jaipurs Pooja Dhanda. Sakshi virtually made it a no-contest by taking a 8-0 lead in the first round. The Olympic bronze medallist earned two points early in the bout with a takedown before another takedown and a couple of flipovers 10 seconds before the break earned her another six points. The Delhi captain continued to rake in the points in the second round as well to complete a comprehensive victory. But by then, Delhi had already lost the tie as Jaipur were enjoying a 4-2 lead in the seven-bout contest. Georgian star Elizbar Olikadze gave Jaipur a solid start with an easy 8-0 win over Delhis Satyavart Kadian in the mens 97kg division -- the first bout of the tie. The bout was off to a slow start with both wrestlers engaging in a massive show of upper body strength. The Georgian took the first point a little before the two-minute mark with a pushout. He then doubled his tally before the break with another pushout. Elizbar produced a six-point burst in the early stages of the second round with a takedown followed by a couple of flipovers. That ultimately proved to be enough for the win. Jakob Makarashvili doubled Jaipurs lead with a fascinating 10-7 win over promising youngster Praveen Rana of Delhi in the mens 74kg category. The first round was a tactical battle with Rana producing a dogged defence to the World Cup medallists attacking moves. The Georgian managed to bring Rana to ground with a tackle on the legs, but the Indian replied with a leg hold of his own for a successful defence. With the passivity rule applied against him, Rana went on the offensive and bagged one point with a pushout. But the Jaipur grappler took the lead in the final minute of the first round with a takedown which fetched him two points. Rana produced a three-point burst almost immediately after the resumption, but Jakob used his superior experience to slowly crawl his way back. A slight mistake in defence in the second minute of the final round cost Rana dearly as Jakob brought him down to take the lead. The Georgian maintained the momentum from there and never gave Rana any chance to make a comeback. Jenny Fransson then beat Alina Stadnyk 5-0 in the womens 75kg category to extend Jaipurs lead. Former European champion and twice Olympic silver medallist Mariya Stadnik of Azerbaijan opened Delhis account by defeating Jaipurs Ritu Phogat in the womens 48kg contest. But that proved to be of scant consolation to the local fans as Vinod Kumar Omprakash gifted Jaipur an unsurmountable 4-1 lead with a 2-0 victory over Delhis David Tlashadze in a highly-tactical, absorbing contest in the mens 70kg division. The 2016 Asian championship silver medallist forced his Georgian opponent onto the defensive in the opening period and earned one point through the passivity rule. David, who had earned silver in the European championships last year, found the going tough in the second round as well and Vinod doubled his lead by taking one point with a pushout. After Sakshi had pulled one back for Delhi, former Asian champion Erdenebat Bekhbayar of Mongolia ended the tie on a high note for Jaipur by quelling a brave challenge from Delhis Erdenebat Bekhbayar 2-0 in a bitterly fought battle in the mens 57kg category.-Agency