"Sheer class & domination" - Cricket fraternity hails Bajrang Punia's bronze medal-winning effort at the Olympics

Wrestler Bajrang Punia clinched the bronze medal in the men's 65 kg freestyle category to give India their sixth medal at the 2021 Olympics on Saturday. He displayed complete dominance in the contest and defeated Kazakhstan's Daulet Niyazbekov by 8-0 to claim the medal.

Bajrang Punia was one of the favorites to win the gold medal. Eventual silver medalist Haji Aliyev ended the Indian grappler's dream run in the semi-finals by 12-5 on Friday. Bajrang Punia came back strongly and performed outstandingly to claim the medal.

The whole nation took notice of his achievements and showered appreciation on social media handles. India's sportspersons from various fields also flooded Twitter with congratulatory messages for the grappler. Current and former Indian cricketers expressed their delight and appreciation for Bajrang Punia's bronze medal on social media platforms.

Cricket fraternity hails Bajrang Punia's bronze medal-winning effort at the Tokyo Olympics

Legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar led the cricketing fraternity on this front with his appreciation post. Soon several former cricketers including Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh and Wasim Jaffer joined in.

The Indian grappler looked unstoppable today from the moment the bout began and completely dominated his opponent. The Commonwealth and Asian Games gold medalist started aggressively and took early control of the match.

Bajrang also demonstrated his tactical acumen in the middle stages by switching to defensive mode at times in a bid to avoid losing points to the opponent. He literally gave nothing away for most of the bout, which left his opponent helpless.

The 27-year-old is the second Indian wrestler to win a medal at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics following Ravi Dahiya, who grabbed a silver in 57kg freestyle. With his efforts, Bajrang has inspired many young wrestlers in the country.

About the author

Balakrishna has been a cricket writer at Sportskeeda for almost seven years. A sport that he has been following and playing since he was eight, Balakrishna enjoys the intensity of the sport, skills and strategies applied to get a result out of nowhere, and the thrill that it gives. He also played as a medium pace bowling all-rounder in four inter-college tournaments, winning twice.

Balakrishna’s all-time favorite cricketers are Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma. He admires Sachin’s stellar performances against legendary bowlers, along with his discipline and humility. Meanwhile, he is a big fan of how Rohit turned around his initial struggles to build a successful career.

He avidly supports Team India and 2016 IPL winners SunRisers Hyderabad. The first World Cup that Balakrishna ever saw was the 2003 World Cup, when Australia comprehensively triumphed over India in the final.

While working, he ensures he only uses reliable sources and provides relevant, ethical, and accurate information. When not working, Balakrishna enjoys playing table tennis and reading non-fiction books.

Know More

"Jai Bajrang Bali" - Cricket fraternity hails Bajrang Punia's bronze medal-winning effort at the Olympics

Cricket fraternity hails Bajrang Punia's bronze medal-winning effort at the Tokyo Olympics