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Narsingh Yadav, the 74-kg category wrestler won the bronze medal at the World Wrestling Championships 2015 on Saturday night at the Orleans Arena, Las Vegas. The JSW-supported Narsingh defeated France’s Zelimkhan Khadjiev in the bronze-medal match after effecting a stunning comeback. In the process, Narsingh also won a Rio 2016 Olympics quota place.
Narsingh began the bronze-medal bout strongly, executing two take-downs on his way to a 4-2 lead. Khadjiev began in rather slow fashion but gradually fought back. In the second period, the French wrestler picked up the pace with three quick take-downs sending him into a massive 12-4 lead.
With just 40 seconds on the clock, Narsingh bounced back in incredible fashion. A perfectly worked headlock took Khadjiev by surprise and Narsingh finished off the move by executing an astute fall which gave him clear victory and a very creditable bronze medal at the World Championships.
“It is an incredible feeling. I was doing well all through the day. Luck wasn’t on my side when I faced the Mongolian wrestler. I was really disappointed with what happened in the semi-final but the determination pick up a medal was always there. Winning by fall is perhaps the sweetest victory that a wrestler can achieve and there is no better feeling than winning a medal for your country,” said Narsingh.
Earlier, the 26-year-old Narsingh began his campaign in roaring fashion disposing off his challenger Hanoc Rachamin of Israel 14-2 in the round of 32. He continued in the same vein of form in the next round defeating European Games 2015 silver medallist Soner Demirtas of Turkey 4-2 to set up a quarter-final date with Cuba’s Livan Lopez. Narsingh was in dominant touch all through his quarterfinal, besting his opponent 16-5 to move into the semi-finals.
In the semi-finals, Mumbai’s Narsingh took on Mongolia’s Unurbat Purevjav. In a very close bout, Narsingh led the Mongol by a 4-3 scoreline till the last five seconds of the bout. Purevjav though levelled scores in the dying seconds of the match, pushing Narsingh outside the mat and picking up a point. The Mongol qualified for the final by virtue of having picked up the last point. However, the Indian made up for the disappointment by putting in a wonderful shift against the Frenchman Khadjiev, sealing the medal in dramatic fashion.
