Indian wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya clinched his third straight Asian Championship gold medal with a dominant performance in the men's 57kg category, winning the title clash by technical superiority against Kazakhstan's Rakhat Kalzhan, at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on Saturday. This is his third straight gold after Delhi 2020 and Almaty 2021.
A little later, Bajrang Punia won silver in the men's 65kg after losing to Iran's Rahman Amouzadkhalili (the 2021 world junior champion in the 61kg). It was a low scoring bout that finished 3-1 in Rahman's favour.
Gourav Balian (79kg) was impressive in his silver-winning effort while Naveen (70kg), making his senior debut and the seasoned Satywart Kadiyan (97kg), bagged bronze medals as all five Indians in action earned podium finishes. India have now won 15 medals, including one gold and four silver medals, in the continental championship.
Earlier, Ravi - the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist - had conceded early leads in all his bouts, but as is his wont, bounced back in to outsmart his rivals in the men's freestyle event.
It was his second final of the season, having won a silver at the Dan Kolov event in February.
Ravi, who hails from Nahri village in Sonepat, yet again showed his immense physical prowess and tactical superiority when he outsmarted Japan's Rikuto Arai (VSU) and pulled off a comprehensive 12-5 win over the host nation's Zanabazar Zandanbud en route the final.
In the title clash, Kalzhan moved ahead with a take-down and for considerable time did not let the Indian make any move. However, true to his style, Ravi began to dominate the bout soon.
He effected six consecutive two-pointers and in-between saved himself from a left-leg attack to finish the bout early in the second period to secure India's first gold medal of the tournament this year. Ravi had won gold at the 2020 edition in Delhi and in Almaty last year