Attempt and think back the days prior to the Tokyo Olympics with grappler Bajrang Punia as the focal figure. There was a feeling of expectation in the air. He was promoted to be India's greatest expectation for an Olympic gold. Fans, the wrestling organization and certain segments of media thought it was an inevitable outcome.
After all he was the World No. 2 going into the Olympics, he had dominated the 2018 Commonwealth Matches as well as the 2018 Asian Games gold awards, other than coming on top in different positioning competitions before the marquee occasion.
Be that as it may, the ones who follow the game consistently and with aim realized the field was extreme in the 65kg weight class. There were any semblance of favorite Gadzhimurad Rashidov of Russia, 2018 World Champion Takuto Otoguro of Japan, Iszmail Muszukajev of Hungary, John Michael Diakomihalis of the United States and furious contenders like Haji Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Daulet Niyazbekov of Kazakhstan. Eventually, Bajrang lost the elimination round to Aliyev, however got the bronze by placing it across Niyazbekov in the repechage round.
A bronze was "to some degree a" in a way that would sound natural to Bajrang, however again as per Bajrang "an Olympic decoration is an Olympic award".
During the Olympics, we saw Bajrang battling during the underlying rounds as well as the coordinate against Aliyev with a defensive tape and cap on his right knee. Subsequently, he was a touch conditional and didn't go all out until the bronze decoration match against Niyazbekov. He pounded the Kazakh 8-0 in that session.
"With the knee tying, it was troublesome with the developments to assault. I was unfortunate while going for the assault," Bajrang remembers.
In the development to the Olympics, Bajrang harmed himself during a preliminary competition in Russia. He did some rebuild in Russia, however his brain was affected. "The elimination round outcome against Aliyev would've been unique on the off chance that I had gone hard and fast as I did in the bronze decoration match," Bajrang laments.
After the Olympics, Bajrang went into full recovery for almost seven months. "The initial six-seven months after the Olympics were spent in nursing the injury. I was just centered around not disturbing it and moving in the correct bearing," Bajrang said during a media cooperation coordinated by the Sports Authority of India prior to heading for a 35-day instructional course in Michigan, United States.
He will immediately go to Birmingham from the US to guard his Commonwealth Games title.
"You really do lament the mix-ups you made previously, however you need to continue on ultimately and center around your preparation and the following rivalries. It's more about gaining from botches than lamenting them," the 28-year-old added.
Back on the mat, Bajrang won a silver at the Asian Championship in April this year. In May, he was made to perspire hard at the preliminaries for the CWG, however in the end secured his spot. In June, he won a bronze at the Bolat Turlykhanov Cup in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Bajrang, up to this point, has looked a sorry excuse for what he was at his pinnacle. The opposition at CWG, in any case, isn't the most grounded, and Bajrang can hope to raise his certainty level at the occasion. A gold decoration winning execution may very well be the promoter shot he wants.
August 5 will be the day Bajrang stands out of the nation back on him.
