Sports News Desk !!! Bajrang Punia (English: Bajrang Punia, Birth- 26 February 1994, Jhajjar, Haryana) is a famous Indian freestyle wrestler. He is considered one of the most promising freestyle wrestlers in India. Bajrang Punia is posted in Indian Railways as TTE (travel ticket testing). He has recently won a gold medal for the country in the Commonwealth Games 2022 (Commonwealth Games) held in Birmingham, England. He gave 65 kg of men. In the final of the weight class freestyle wrestling match, the medal won by defeating Lachchal McNeel of Canada 9-2.
Earlier, he has won his first international tournament at the Asian Wrestling Championship in 2013, in which he won a bronze for the country. After winning silver in the 2018 World Wrestling Championship, he 65 kg. Claimed world number one in the category. Bajrang Punia dedicated a gold medal in Russia’s Dan Colova-Nicola Petrov tournament, Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Vardhman. In the Summer Olympics, 2020 (Tokyo Olympics), Bajrang Punia has captured the bronze medal by defeating Daulat Niazbekov of Kazakhstan in the 65 kg weight freestyle wrestling match. This is India’s sixth medal in the Tokyo Olympics.
Introduction
Bajrang Punia was born on 26 February 1994 in Jhajjar village, Haryana. His father’s name is Balwan Singh Punia and mother’s name is Ompari. His father is a professional wrestler. His brother’s name is Harinder Punia and he is also a wrestler.[1]
Education
Bajrang Punia’s early education was completed in his village itself. Started wrestling at the age of 7 and received great support by his father. After which Bajrang completed his graduation from Maharishi Dayanand University. Bajrang Poonia also worked as a ticket examiner in Indian Railways. Yogeshwar Dutt is his coach.
Career
In 2013, in the Asian Wrestling Championship semi-finals, Bajrang Punia in India, New Delhi won the bronze medal in the men’s freestyle 60 kg category by defeating South Korea’s ‘Hwang Ryong-Hak’ 3–1. In the 16th round, Bajrang Punia faced Japan’s ‘Shogo Meda’ and defeated him 3–1. In the quarter-finals, his rival was Iran’s ‘Morad Hasan’, Bajrang Punia defeated his rival ‘Morad Hasan’ 3–1 to go to the semi-finals.[1]
Later, Bajrang won a bronze medal in the 60 kg category in the 2013 World Wrestling Championship Budapest, Hungary. In the 2014 World Wrestling Championship -16th Round, Bajrang Punia faced England’s ‘Sasha Madarkik’ and defeated him 4–0. He faced South Africa’s ‘Marno Plasaji’ in the quarter-finals and won 4–1. Nigerian wrestler ‘Amas Daniel’ was a rival to Bajrang Punia in the semi-finals and ‘Amas Daniel’ defeated Bajrang Punia 3–1. Thus, he won the silver medal at the 2014 World Wrestling Championship. 2014 Asian Games-In Ichian, South Korea, Bajrang Punia confronted Iran’s ‘Masood Exmallipurjoubari’ and won the silver medal in the men’s freestyle 61 kg category by defeating ‘Masood Exmelipurjoubari’ 1-3. The 2014 Commonwealth Games won a silver medal in the 61 kg category in Glasgow, Scotland. In 2014 itself, Asian Games Inchian again won a silver medal in South Korea. 2015 World Wrestling Championship – Unlike his partner Narasimha Yadav, Bajrang Punia could not manage medal in the tournament in Las Vegas and finished 5th. In the 32nd round, Mongolia’s ‘Batboldin Nomin’ was a rival of Bajrang Punia, who defeated Bajrang Punia 10–0. Bajrang Poonia won the gold medal in the Asian Wrestling Championship 2017, Delhi. 2018 Commonwealth Games – Bajrang Punia won the gold medal in the men’s freestyle 65 kg category in the Gold Coast, Australia. He won this gold medal by defeating Kane Charig of Wales. 2018 Asian Games – On August 19, Bajrang Punia won the gold medal in men’s freestyle 65 kg wrestling. He defeated Japanese wrestler Takatanani Dachi 11-8, the score stuck at 6-6 after the first round. Bajrang Poonia has so far won a total of 5 gold, 3 bronze, 4 silver medals. He won his first international tournament at the Asian Wrestling Championship in 2013, winning a bronze for the country. After winning silver in the 2018 World Wrestling Championship, he 65 kg. Claimed world number one in the category. Bajrang Punia dedicated the gold medal in Russia’s Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov tournament, Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Vardhman.
Commonwealth Games, 2022
Bajrang Punia has won a gold medal for the country in the Commonwealth Games 2022 held in Birmingham, England. He gave 65 kg of men. In the final of the weight class freestyle wrestling match, the medal won by defeating Lachchal McNeel of Canada 9-2. Tokyo Olympics, 2020 bronze medalist Bajrang Punia started pressurizing Makenil from the beginning of the match, while Makenil looked ineffective in front of him. Jean Guliane of defending champion Bajrang Punia Mauritius reached the semi-finals with a 6–0 win by defeating Joris Bondau in just one minute. It took him less than two minutes to reach the quarter-finals, for which he registered a 4–0 victory by dropping the low Bingham of Naoreu in the early stages. Bajrang Punia took a minute to understand her opponent and then ended the fight by slamming the Bigham from the situation of ‘fasting’. Bingham did not find out this sudden bet and the Indian wrestler easily won.
World Wrestling Championship
Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia won a bronze medal in the World Wrestling Championship (2022). Olympic bronze medalist Bajrang Punia won the second medal of India in this World Wrestling Championship. Before him, female wrestler Vinesh Phogat also won a bronze medal. Commonwealth Games 2022 gold medalist Bajrang Punia won bronze in the 65 kg weight category. He defeated Puerto Rico’s Sebstian Riviera 11-9. Bajrang had to face defeat against John Diya Komilis in the quarter -finals earlier. He then won the bronze medal in the repechage. This is Bajrang Punia’s fourth medal in the World Wrestling Championship in his career so far. He had earlier won bronze in 2013, silver in 2018 and then a bronze medal in 2019.
award
In 2015, Bajrang Punia was awarded the Arjuna Award. In 2019, he was awarded the Padma Shri. He was to be given the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award on 29 August 2019, but could not attend the ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan due to sports commitments.