Gold Coast: Star Indian wrestlers Sushil Kumar and Rahul Aware won gold in their respective categories at the 21st Commonwealth Games (CWG), while women grapplers also finished among the medals on Thursday.
Sushil defended his crown in the men’s 74kg category which he had won at the 2014 edition in Glasgow.
Sushil needed just 80 seconds to overpower Johannes Botha of South Africa by technical superiority in the final. Bouts are awarded on the basis of technical superiority when a wrestler takes a lead of 10 or more points.
Sushil won gold at the CWG for the third consecutive time. He had won gold in the now disbanded 66kg category at the 2010 edition in New Delhi before winning the 74kg title at the 2014 CWG in Glasgow, Scotland.
Aware, who was appearing in his first CWG, won gold in the men’s 57kg category in style. The Maharashtra wrestler outclassed Steven Takahashi of Canada 15-7 in the final.
Aware’s triumph opened India’s gold medal account in the three-day wrestling competition at the Games.
“I have been waiting for this medal for the last 10 years,” he said. “I can’t describe how it feels to claim it. I missed out on 2010, even in 2014, the team was sent without trials. So, I am very happy that I could finally fulfil this dream.
“I dedicate this to my guru who passed away in 2012, I am happy that all the efforts I put in got the result I wanted.”
The women wrestlers added to the Indian medals tally with Babita Kumari taking silver in the 53kg category while Kiran bagged bronze in the 76kg division.
“I think my weakness today was my attack, I should have been more aggressive but I gave my 100 per cent. I am satisfied with the intensity I put in but obviously I could not get the result I wanted,” said Babita.
“I had a bit of a problem in my knees too but injuries are a wrestler’s ornaments. We live niggles, there is nothing there,” she added.
Botha was no match for Sushil, who pulled off a four-point move in the opening seconds of the first round.
The veteran Indian star then executed a series of two-point moves which gave him a 10-0 lead and the gold.
In the men’s 57kg final, Aware was dominant right from the start, pulling off three two-points moves in the first round.
Although the Canadian showed excellent technical prowess with a four-point move, it was enough to prevent Aware from taking a two-point lead into the break.
The Maharashtra wrestler showed his true class in the second round. He had increased his lead by one point in the initial stages before the Canadian scored three points to reduce the gap.
Aware however, made an ankle hold to execute the classic ‘fitlay’ move which saw rack up eight consecutive points.
That gave him a virtually insurmountable eight-point lead which proved too much for Steven.
