Sunil Kumar has become the poster boy of the Indian contingent at the Asian Wrestling Championships with his triumph in the 87 kg category that ended India’s 27-year drought for a Greco Roman gold in continental competition.
Pappu Yadav (48kg) was the last Indian wrestler to win a Greco-Roman gold in 1993 Asian Championships.
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Sunil has also raked other benefits from the first position finish. He climbed 12 places to the fourth in the UWW World Rankings with 32 points. This higher ranking will play an important role at the Olympic seeding and help him avoid tough opponents if he makes it to the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Sunil is now focussing on the Asian Olympic Qualifiers which have been rescheduled to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in March. The Qualifiers were to take place in China. But Coronavirus outbreak like many other events has forced the relocation of the competition.
Ashu, the 67kg Greco Roman bronze medallist, has also improved his world rankings. He is now placed seventh with a jump of 19 ranks.
The freestyle wrestling has also seen a change in the rankings. Both Rahul Aware and Tokyo-bound Deepak Punia have climbed to the second spot in 61kg and 86kg category respectively.
In women’s wrestling, while Anshu and Divya Kakran has moved up in the list with gold medal finishes, Vinesh Phogat has fallen a place lower now.
Anshu and Divya are ranked seventh and sixth in 57kg and 86kg category respectively. Vinesh, however, has now moved to the third spot, losing her second position to Japan’s Mayu Mukaidu.
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