Asian Games: Wrestler Gurpreet ousted in quarterfinals, greco-roman wrestlers draw a blank

India’s Gurpreet Singh was the lone greco-roman wrestler to make an impression, reaching the quarterfinals of the men’s 75 kg category, before he found the going tough against Iran’s Bouyeri Payani Payam and lost to him comprehensively. The 21-year-old grappler had plenty of catching up to do as Bouyeri opened up a five point lead in the opening round and consolidated it to triumph and seal his semifinal berth. Gurpreet had made it to the last eight stage after easily prevailing over Qatar’s Badr Akhit Sharif K.

He was the second Indian to lose to an Iranian grappler after Dharmender Dalal lost to Babajanzadeh Darzi Bashir in the men’s 130 kg category. The Indian struggled to play his natural game against the Iranian in a contest, which panned out to be a one-sided affair.

Sandee Tulsi Yadav continued the losing sequence for the Indians as he was defeated by Tajikistan’s Obloberdiev Khusrav in the men’s 65 kg category. Manoj Kumar also bite the dust in the 85 kg category going down to China’s Peng Fei. Manoj was given a bye in the quarterfinals and a win would have put him in the medal round, but he disappointed.

It has been quite a listless performance from the Indian greco-roman wrestlers who drew a blank at the Asiad. Ravinder Singh – one of the most experienced grapplers in the team – lost to Kazakhstan’s Kebispayev Almat in the 59-kg category. Krishankant Yadav lost to Korea’s Jung Jihyun in the 71 kg category. Another Indian Harpreet Singh lost to Uzbekistan’s Saldadze Besiki in the quarterfinals of the 80 kg category.

The country’s freestyle wrestlers bagged five medals through Yogeshwar Dutt (gold), Bajrang (silver), Narsingh Yadav (bronze), Vinesh (bronze) and Geetika Jhakar (bronze). The feat of Yogeshwar is significant because he bagged the country’s first Asian Games gold medal after a hiatus of 28 years (Kartar Singh last won it at the 1986 Seoul Asiad).