CWG 2022: Bajrang Punia yearns for the top again after injury and rehabilitation

After all he was the World No. 2 going into the Olympics, he had won the 2018 Commonwealth Games as well as the 2018 Asian Games gold medals, besides coming on top in various ranking tournaments before the marquee event. But the ones who follow the sport regularly and with intent knew the field was tough in the 65kg weight category. There were the likes of top seed Gadzhimurad Rashidov of Russia, 2018 World Champion Takuto Otoguro of Japan, Iszmail Muszukajev of Hungary, John Michael Diakomihalis of the United States and fierce competitors like Haji Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Daulet Niyazbekov of Kazakhstan. Ultimately, Bajrang lost the semifinal to Aliyev, but grabbed the bronze by putting it across Niyazbekov in the repechage round.

A bronze was "somewhat a setback" in Bajrang's own words, but again according to Bajrang "an Olympic medal is an Olympic medal". During the Olympics, we saw Bajrang fighting during the initial rounds as well as the match against Aliyev with a protective tape and cap on his right knee. As a result, he was a touch tentative and didn't go all out until the bronze medal match against Niyazbekov. He thumped the Kazakh 8-0 in that bout.

India's history at the Commonwealth Games

"With the knee strapping, it was difficult with the movements to attack. I was fearful while going for the attack," Bajrang recollects. In the build-up to the Olympics, Bajrang injured himself during a preparatory tournament in Russia. He did some rehab in Russia, but his mind was impacted. "The semifinal result against Aliyev would've been different if I had gone all out like I did in the bronze medal match," Bajrang rues.

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