Nitesh Siwach is now just one win away from giving India its first-ever Asian Games gold in Greco-Roman wrestling as he powered into the men’s 97kg final with a dominant technical-superiority win, while Mansi Ahlawat will fight for a bronze in the women’s 62kg in Nagoya on Thursday.
Sumit (60kg) and Aman Baroniya (77kg) were eliminated from the medal race, with both Greco Roman wrestlers falling in the quarterfinals.
Nitesh, who has already secured India’s best-ever Greco-Roman finish at the Asian Games, demolished Mongolia’s Gankhuyang Ganbaatar by technical superiority (9-0) in the first three-minute period itself.
The Asian championship silver medallist produced two four-point throws from the ground position to end the bout in emphatic fashion.
No Indian has ever won a Greco-Roman gold at the Asian Games, and Nitesh now has the opportunity to achieve that feat. He will take on home favourite Yuri Nakazato.
India have won only four bronze medals in Greco Roman style in Asian Games history.
Making full use of the draw, Nitesh had entered directly into the quarterfinals, where he defeated Turkmenistan’s Amanberdi Agamammedov 7-1.
Mansi, meanwhile, will fight Mongolia’s Altjin Togtokh for bronze after her run was halted by Japan’s Asian champion Nonoka Ozaki, who prevailed 6-0 in the women’s 62kg semifinals.
Ozaki proved a class apart in the semifinal. The Japanese wrestler took a 2-0 lead with a right-leg attack before adding another takedown after attacking Mansi’s left leg, using deception smartly.
Mansi tried to initiate a headlock but could not convert it into points, while Ozaki’s defence kept the Indian at bay.
Earlier, Mansi had capitalised on Irina Kuznetsova’s passivity and then made the most of small errors for a comfortable 6-1 win.
In the men’s 77kg, Aman opened with an exciting 8-6 win over Mongolia’s Borgil Tuvshinbaatar but was stopped by Qatar’s Shahin Badaghimofrad in the quarterfinals.
Shahin won by technical superiority after pushing Aman out twice for a 2-0 lead before forcing him into ground position and taking control.
But Shahin’s failure to reach the final subsequently closed the repechage route for Aman.
Against Tuvshinbaatar, Aman had led after gaining a point for his opponent’s passivity, but conceded two points from the par terre position while attempting a roll before the Mongolian’s four-point move made it 6-2.
Aman fought back with a takedown, a spectacular jumping move for another takedown and a roll to complete an 8-6 comeback.
Sumit also bowed out in the quarterfinals, losing 1-1 on criteria to Iran’s Sajjad Abbasporragani. The Iranian later lost his semifinal, shutting the door on the Indian’s medal hopes.
(PTI)
