Deepak Punia, who was set to compete in the final of the men’s freestyle 86kg at the World wrestling championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, has been forced to miss the title clash due to injuries and will settle for the silver medal.
Deepak, who picked up an injury on his left leg and eye in his first round fight is unfit to compete in the final against Iranian Hasan Yazdanichara, which was scheduled for Sunday.
“My leg is swollen up and it is hurting. The eye is swollen too, but it happens in wrestling. I picked up both injuries during the first round. I am not fighting in the final (because of leg injury),” Deepak told Sportstar from Nur-Sultan on Sunday.
A World cadet and World junior champion, Deepak had a tremendous run at the World Championships that saw him get past Kazakhstan's Adilet Davlumbayev, Bakhdour Kodirov of Tajikistan, Columbia's Milton Izquierdo and Stefan Reichmuth of Switzerland to earn his spot in the final. In the process, he also sealed the country’s fourth wrestling quota for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Overall, India has enjoyed a fine run at the World Championships with four wrestlers bagging medals and as many Olympic quota places so far. Bajrang Punia claimed the bronze medal in the 65kg category, while Ravi Kumar also won bronze in the 57kg category. Vinesh Phogat was the sole Indian woman wrestler to bag a medal when she won the bronze medal in the 53kg category. Deepak's silver medal is the best result an Indian wrestler has achieved at this year's World Championships.
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