Bajrang Punia has clinched the bronze medal after defeating three-time Asian Champion Daulet Niyazbekov 8-0 in men's wrestling freestyle 65kg at Tokyo Olympics 2020 on August 7, 2021. This is historic as this is India's sixth medal at Tokyo Olympics 2020.
India has equaled its best-ever medal tally at Olympic Games, as previously it had won six medals, including two silver and four bronze at the 2012 London Olympics.
Bajrang Punia has become the sixth wrestler in Indian history to win an Olympic medal. Punia is the top-ranked wrestler in his weight category.
Significance
This is India's fourth medal at the Tokyo Olympics including one from the Indian men's hockey team, Lovlina Borgohain in boxing and PV Sindhu's bronze in badminton.
India has won two silvers, Ravi Kumar Dahiya's silver in wrestling and Mirabai Chanu's silver in weightlifting.
This is the second medal in wrestling in Tokyo Olympics after Ravi Kumar Dahiya's silver.
Former Indian Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju tweeted, "India strikes 6th Olympic medal at #Tokyo2020 !Congratulations to our star wrestler @BajrangPunia bhai on winning Olympic Bronze Medal! We are so proud of you!"
India strikes 6th Olympic medal at #Tokyo2020 !
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) August 7, 2021
Congratulations to our star wrestler @BajrangPunia bhai on winning Olympic Bronze Medal! We are so proud of you! #Cheer4India 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/BYkjeQJY3U
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also tweeted, "Delightful news from #Tokyo2020! Spectacularly fought @BajrangPunia. Congratulations to you for your accomplishment, which makes every Indian proud and happy."
Delightful news from #Tokyo2020! Spectacularly fought @BajrangPunia. Congratulations to you for your accomplishment, which makes every Indian proud and happy.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 7, 2021
List of Indian wrestlers who won medals in Olympics:
1. KD Jadhav- Bronze, 1952
2. Sushil Kumar- Bronze, 2008 & Silver, 2012
3. Yogeshwar Dutt- Bronze, 2012
4, Sakshi Malik- Bronze, 2016
5. Ravi Kumar Dahiya- Bronze, 2021
Bajrang Punia at Tokyo Olympics
Bajrang Punia had lost his semifinal bout 11- 5 to Azerbijan's Haji Aliyev in men's freestyle 65kg semifinal on August 6, 2021. He had earlier beaten Iran's Morteza Ghiasi Cheka in the quarterfinals.
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