Vishal Kaliraman wins the 65 kg semifinal match, but Sujeet Kalkal, a co-petitioner against the exemption from the Asian Games trials provided to Bajrang and Vinesh, loses.
When the race came to an end, Vishal Kaliraman was battered and bruised, his right eye swelled from an impact injury, his lower lip broken, and his cauliflower ears scarred. However, the 25-year-old didn’t let that stop him from sharing his opinions on the controversy surrounding Indian wrestling’s selection process.
“I believe that I am deserving of a spot in the Asian Games. After securing a spot as a standby for the September-October Games, Kaliraman declared, “If I have the chance, I’ll return back with a gold medal. Bajrang Punia, the 2018 Asian Games champion and bronze medalist from the Tokyo Olympics, has been excused from the wrestling trials. As a result, the 29-year-old, who last competed 10 months ago, will go to Hangzhou as an automatic selection in Kaliraman’s division (65 kg).
Todkar once held a commanding 20-8 advantage before pinning his well-known opponent. Dream run for Todkar came to an end in the semifinals when Rahul of Delhi defeated him 12-0 to set up a matchup with fellow Chhatrasal akhada member Aman Sehrawat.
Rahul Aware put Asian Championships gold medalist Sehrawat to the test in their first match, but Sehrawat quickly found his rhythm and cruised to the final, which he won 9-2 to secure his ticket in his first Asian Games.
