Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia’s coach Shako Bentinidis hit back after world champ Gadhzimurad Rashidov’s took a dig at his Indian counterpart. The Georgian said that ‘Bajrang will never be an easy rival as he fears Bajrang’. “He already showed one weakness to us when we fought in Makhachkala at Ali Aliev tournament (2019). When Rashidov found out that Bajrang is also entering the competition, he pulled back from it,” he says.
Both Bajrang and Rashidov compete in the 65kg men’s freestyle but are yet to lock horns on the mat. However, the only competition left where the two can meet before heading into the Tokyo Olympics would be the Poland Ranking Series.
The Russian wrestler is the current world champion in the middle-weight category. In an interview to Russian Wrestling Federation (RWF) when asked what he thinks of Bajrang Punia as a challenger at the Olympics, he said that he is too comfortable with his Indian counterparts wrestling style and can see right through him. “Bajrang, of course, is a strong fighter, but it seems to me that he is a convenient opponent for me. I know his weaknesses and I don’t think I will have a big problem when we fight. He is too comfy for me,” reported Wrestling Russia.
Also Read: ?????? ??????? ?????? ?? ??? ????? – ????? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ???????? ???? ?????
To this Shako says that everybody thinks Bajrang is an easy wrestler to beat but they are wrong. “If someone thinks Bajrang will be easy prey for Rashidov then let them think that. It is good for us. Bajrang will not be an easy opponent for anyone. This is my answer,” he told WrestlingTV from Georgia. “Rashidov is not a serious rival for Bajrang. Yes, he is one of the leaders in this weight but he still needs to win the Russian Championship and then we can talk about rivalry”.
Possibility of Bajrang vs Rashidov at Tokyo Olympics
Both the wrestlers are the top two in the UWW rankings. While Rashidov leads the chart with 60 points, Bajrang is a point behind in second place. The higher ranking means that there will be a very high possibility that the two are seeded into different groups. If it happens Bajrang vs Rashidov will only happen in the knockout rounds.
Shako says that at Olympics everyone is at the equal footing and it is the game of psychology from there. “The Olympics is a competition where there is no leader. Everyone is equal and anyone can win. It is a game of psychology. The one who prepares better will be the winner”.
Plans for the Olympics
The Tokyo Olympics which were originally scheduled to take place this July has been postponed to next year due to coronavirus. Given the time Bajrang has now, Shako says that they will now begin training for each opponent separately. “When we resume training we will change the characteristics of the training and each will prepare for each opponent individually”. On his goals for the Tokyo Games, the Georgian coach says, “We do not have to keep in top shape for a whole year but we need to be fit and be in peak form before the Olympics. This is the most important thing for us”.
