World Wrestling Olympic Qualifiers: Sumit Malik has kept the Indian hopes alive by reaching the semifinals of the World Olympic Qualifiers in Sofia on Thursday. The heavyweight wrestler beat Rustam Iskandari of Tajikistan 10-5 to enter the last four. He will now face Jose Daniel Diaz Robertti of Venenzuala. A win would win seal India’s quota in 125 kg freestyle.
In his 125kg Qualification bout against Kyrgyzstan’s Aiaal Lazarev, Sumit was trailing 1-2 till the last 25 seconds of the bout but got a push-out point towards the ends and won on criteria, when the scores were 2-2.
His next bout was against Moldova’s Alexandr Romanov. He trailed 0-1 after losing a point on passivity.
In the second period he lost another point when he was pushed out by his opponent but as has been his strategy — Sumit attacks in the closing stage of the bout — he pulled off a two-point throw to make it even and finally won 3-2.
World Wrestling Olympic Qualifiers: End of road for Amit Dhankar and Satyawart Kadian
Meanwhile, it is end of road for Amit Dhankar and Satyawart Kadian, who were ousted from the World Olympic Qualifiers in Sofia on Thursday.
Satywarth who led 5-1 with less than half a minute left lost on criteria against Ahmed Sultanovich Bataev of Bulgaria after the bout ended 5-5.
Dhankar lost his 74kg Qualification bout 6-9 to Moldova’s Mihail Sava. After trailing 0-4, Dhankar put up a spirited fight in the second period, but the Moldovan was up to the task.
Dhankar’s defeat means that India will go unrepresented in the 74kg at
the Tokyo Games.
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