CWG 2022 : Bajrang Punia gave India its first gold medal in the sport of wrestling at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022, as he beat Canada’s Lachlan McNeil in the men’s 65kg freestyle wrestling final. Canada’s Lachlan Maurice McNeil fought well against Bajrang but the Indian was far superior in technique and stamina.
Bajrang Punia is an Olympic bronze medallist (Tokyo 2020) and also has another gold and a silver medal in the Commonwealth Games to his name. He has one silver and two bronze medals to his name in World Championships.
Bajrang started his Commonwealth Games career with a silver in the 61kg category in Glasgow in 2014. He won a silver in Asian Games in Incheon, the same year. He moved up to the 65kg category in 2018 and won the gold at CWG in Gold Coast and followed it up with an Asiad gold in Jakarta. The biggest moment of his career came in 2021 when he became an Olympic medallist, picking up the bronze in Tokyo.
Bajrang Punia has been struggling to play freely since last year and his over defensive tactics put a question-mark over his ability to extend his dominance in international arena but on Friday he made his moves without inhibition.