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What's the story?
Iran's Erfan Ahangarian won his bout against India's Surya Bhanu Pratap Singh. After the match, he also won hearts by a display of excellent sportsmanship.
In case you didn't know...
The 2018 Asian Games are currently underway. For the first time in history, two cities are co-hosting the pan-Asian multi-sport event. It is also the first time in fifty-six years that the competition has returned to Indonesia.
The heart of the matter
Tournaments, such as the Asian Games, always have a competitive spirit about them. However, sometimes there are a few moments of sportsmanship that stand-out amidst all the competition.
One such moment transpired today after the Men's Wushu Sanda 60 Kg Semifinal. However, before moving on to what happened after the bout, here's a quick brief on what happened before.
Four Indian Wushu players had qualified for the Semifinals of their respective weight categories in the Sanda events. With the Bronze medal already confirmed, all four were aiming to go as high as possible.
Amongst those four was Surya Bhanu Pratap Singh. Singh was competing against Iran's Erfan Ahangarian in the semifinal bout. However, midway through their bout, Singh injured his knee badly. Nevertheless, the Indian continued fighting. Even after a spirited display by the Indian martial artist, Erfan won the bout.
The moment arrived shortly after the bout ended. After the referee had announced the winner, Erfan decided to help out the wounded Singh and proceeded to carry him out of the ring. This display of sportsmanship received the crowd's approval, as they applauded both the martial artists. Erfan for his sportsmanship and Singh for his never-say-die attitude.
Here's a video clip of that moment-
What's next?
The Indian Wushu contingent won't return home empty-handed from the Asian Games. After a brilliant display over the last few days, four Indians have claimed a bronze medal each in Sanda events- Roshibina Devi, Santosh Kumar, Surya Bhanu Pratap Singh, and Narendar Grewal.
The four will now return home as champions and will hope that Wushu finally gets the attention it deserves.
Do you think Wushu deserves better support in India after such a stellar performance? Let us know in the comments section.
