The Haryana Hammers clinched their place in the final of the Pro Wrestling League after a stunning victory against the CDR Punjab Royals in the second semifinal at the KD Jadhav Stadium in New Delhi. They will now face the unbeaten Revanta Mumbai Garuda side on Sunday in the last game of the tournament after they came back from behind in spectacular fashion to defeat the Royals.
After losing the first two bouts of the fixture, the Haryana side won the next two by fall as Andriitesey Valerii and Tatyana Kit managed to pin down their opponents, Mausam Khatri and Priyanka Phogat respectively, to claim victory.
The Royals took a 3-2 lead, but it proved not enough as current world champion Oksana Herhel pinned Punjab captain Geeta Phogat in the first round to equalize and the Hammers’ Cuban import Livan Lopez bested Parveen Rana in the deciding bout to win the semifinal for his team and give them a shot at the coveted trophy.
At the two teams’ earlier meeting in the round robin stage, the Royals had taken a comfortable 5-2 win. But when it mattered the most, the Hammers pulled their weight and registered a dramatic victory from the jaws of defeat.
What makes the win even more special for the Haryana side is the fact that they were playing without captain and icon player Yogeshwar Dutt. The 2012 London Olympics bronze medalist was forced to withdraw from the match due to a muscle pull during his pre-match routines.
As a result, Vishal Rana was drafted in as an emergency replacement.
Speaking to the media after the match, Dutt explained his injury and expressed his disappointment at having to miss the games when his team needed him the most. He stated that he has been advised two weeks of rest for his recovery and as a result will be unable to play in the final. He emphasized that he could not afford to take any risks with his fitness considering that the 2016 Rio Olympics are imminent.
Despite suffering a setback at such a crucial juncture in the competition, Dutt was positive that his team would do well even if he had to watch from the sidelines. He praised Herhel, Kit and Lopez, stating that he had complete confidence in their abilities and that he believed they could pull off a victory against the Garuda.
Even though he will not be contesting on the mat, Dutt’s valuable inputs from the sidelines and while forming strategies will be extremely vital going into the final.
Last but certainly not the least, the Olympian was confident of home support. He proudly stated that he was absolutely sure that all the fans in the arena as well as on TV would cheer for his side in the final.
‘Overwhelmed’ at the support received from the crowd by the Hammers, Dutt said that that he was grateful for their encouragement.
