Deepak Punia’s Olympic qualification hopes suffered a major setback at the World Qualifiers in Sofia, Bulgaria, as he succumbed to a crushing first-round defeat. The 23-year-old, who narrowly missed a bronze medal at the Tokyo Games, was outmuscled by China’s Zushen Lin in the 86kg category, losing 4-6.
Punia’s fate now rests on the Chinese wrestler reaching the final, which would open up the repechage route for the Indian. However, the odds are stacked against Punia, as Lin is a formidable opponent.
Meanwhile, young Aman Sehrawat emerged as a beacon of hope for India, advancing to the 57kg semifinals with two dominant victories. The 20-year-old, who is the reigning U23 world champion and Asian Championship title winner, showcased his strength and technique in both his bouts.
Sehrawat comfortably defeated Georgi Valentinov Vangelov of Bulgaria 10-4 before overpowering Ukraine’s Andrii Yatsenko by technical superiority. Yatsenko proved to be a quick opponent, but Sehrawat’s superior strength allowed him to control the match and secure a takedown victory without conceding a single point.
In the 65kg category, Sujeet Kalkal also impressed, winning his first two bouts with a 3-2 victory over Uzbekistan’s Umidjon Jalolov and a technical superiority victory against Korea’s Junsik Yun. Kalkal faces a tougher test in the quarterfinals.
Jaideep Ahlawat also advanced to the quarterfinals in the 74kg weight class, pulling off a stunning four-pointer double-leg attack to defeat Moldova’s Vasile Diacon 5-3. He followed that up with a technical superiority victory against Austria’s Simon Marchl.
Despite these positive performances, the Indian contingent suffered setbacks in other weight classes. Deepak (97kg) and Sumit Malik (125kg) both lost their first-round bouts, leaving Punia as the only remaining hope for an Olympic berth.
