Four Wushu players all of whom had reached the semi-finals lost their respective bouts in different categories to settle for a bronze at the Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta on Wednesday. Despite the defeat, it was, however, India’s best performance at this particular event in any international competition.
Narender Grewal, Surya Bhanu Pratap Singh, Naorem Roshibini Devi and Santosh Kumar all of whom had progressed to the semi-finals of the Sanda event on Tuesday faced defeat, but not before ensuring another four medals for India from the event.
Also Read: Asian Games 2018: Four Indian Wushu athletes reach semi-finals to assure more medals
Roshibini Devi, who was the first to enter the fray in the women’s Sanda 60kg semi-final lost to Chinese Cai Yingying 0-1. Santosh Kumar was next in the men’s Sanda 56kg category then lost 0-2 against Truong Giang Bui of Vietnam, failing to put up a fight.
They were soon followed by Bhanu Pratap Singh and Grewal, both of whom lost their bouts in the 60kg and 65kg category by a 0-2 margin to Erfan Ahangarian and Sem Foroud Zafari of Iran respectively.
India had earlier clinched two bronze medals in the Sanda event at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. While in the 2006 and 2010 Asian Games India had collectively won two bronze and one silver (one bronze in 2006 and one bronze and one silver in 2014).
Grewal was one of the bronze medal winners in 2014.
Also Read: Asian Games 2018: Sarnobat wins gold in 25m Air pistol final