Sajan Bhanwal becomes first Indian to win consecutive medals at Junior World Wrestling Championship

Sajan Bhanwal scripted history on Wednesday by becoming the first Indian to win back-to-back medals at the Junior World Wrestling Championship when he won a silver in the 77kg Greco Roman category in Trnava, Slovakia.

Sajan had also claimed a bronze in the last edition in Tampere, Finland after beating Per Anders Kure of Norway in the quarterfinals of the same Greco Roman category bout.

The 20-year-old wrestler from a village near Sonipat lost against Islam Opiev of Russia. Sajan proved to be a no match going down 8-0 via a technical superiority.

According, to a report in the United World Wrestling website, Sajan was hit with passivity within the opening 90 minutes of the match and was thrown from the par terre position, giving his opponent enough opportunities to attack.

Opjev scored as many as six additional points from a pair of back-arches, followed by a foot over back exposure to take a 7-0 lead as the referee called the play-off.

Sajan, however, would last just minutes more and just as play restarted the Russian charged Sajan towards the edge of the mat and picked up the match-ending eighth point, and with it, the 77kg gold medal said the report.

The Junior Asia Championship gold medallist had defeated Dmytro Gardubei from Ukraine in the semifinals.

Another Indian in the fray, Vijay defeated Cihat Ahmet Liman of Turkey 16-8 to win a bronze in the 55kg Greco-roman category.

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