Even before the start of Tokyo Olympics-2020, Bajrang Punia was considered a medal contender and he also managed to win a bronze medal.
Bajrang Punia won bronze medal in Tokyo Olympics (PTI Photo)
When Bajrang Punia went to the Tokyo Olympics-2020, he was expected to win a gold medal. Bajrang had somehow made it to the semi-finals where he had to face defeat. Then, however, Bajrang did not miss the chance to win the bronze medal and returned with a medal from Tokyo. Bajrang Punia on Sunday said he had been out of the mat for nearly three weeks due to a knee injury that affected his preparation for the Olympics and he ended up on his knee against the advice of his associates for Saturday’s bronze medal bout. Came without a bandage.
Bajrang did not participate in the Poland Open, the last ranking event before the Tokyo Games. His reasoning was that he needed more practice than marks. He went to Russia for practice, where he injured his right knee in a local tournament. He suffered a knee injury during his semi-final match against Under-23 European silver medalist Abulmajid Kudiyev at the Ali Aliyev tournament on June 25. Bajrang did not appear in the kind of rhythm for which he is known in his early matches. However, he saw the same strategy and attacking game against Daulat Niyazbekov of Kazakhstan in the bronze medal match. He won the bronze medal by winning 8-0.
sorry about this
Bajrang said in a conversation with the media, “I could not do mat training for about 25 days. I was not able to walk properly even after the injury. It is also not right to miss a day’s training before a tournament like the Olympics. My coach and physio wanted me to go into the bronze match with a knee bandage, but I was not feeling comfortable. It looked like someone had tied my leg, so I told him that even if the injury becomes serious, I can take rest later, but if I don’t win a medal now, all the hard work will be in vain. That’s why I landed on the mat without a bandage.
doctors said go back to india
He said, “The doctors wanted me to come back to India (from Russia) for treatment but I told them that this is not possible due to the risk of exposure to the virus (COVID-19) during my travels. I completed my rehabilitation in that small village in Russia and with the help of the Indian Embassy in Moscow, I got all the necessary equipment.
wanted to test myself
When asked Bajrang why he went to the local tournament after he decided not to participate in the Poland Open? He said that he wanted to test himself. Bajrang said, “Injuries can happen during practice also, and most of the injuries happen during training because in tournament your focus is completely on the game. You do a lot of different things in training. I had to see what is my position in terms of preparation. So I had to compete.”
Weight category will not change
The 27-year-old wrestler said he would continue to compete in the 65kg category till the Paris Games. He said, “There is no scope to go in 74 kg. Next year we have Commonwealth and Asian Games. I have missed out on the gold medal now, but will work on my weaknesses and try to reach the top in Paris.” Bajrang said he would start rehabilitation after returning home and prepare for the World Championships to be held in Oslo, Norway from October 2 to 10.
read this also-
IOC’s scissors may follow Mirabai Chanu’s dream of winning gold medal in Paris
.
