Indian wrestlers Akash Dahiya and Anirudh Kumar Eye Bronze Medals at Asian Championships

Indian wrestlers Akash Dahiya and Anirudh Kumar have advanced to the bronze-medal round at the Asian Wrestling Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Despite facing tough competition, their performances have kept India's medal hopes alive in the prestigious tournament.

Indian wrestlers Akash Dahiya and Anirudh Kumar have positioned themselves for potential bronze medals at the ongoing Asian Championships. Despite facing some setbacks, their performances have kept India's medal hopes alive in the prestigious tournament held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Competing in the non-Olympic 61kg category, Akash Dahiya showcased his prowess with a hard-fought victory over Sardor Ruzimov from Uzbekistan in a thrilling encounter. Following this, he secured another impressive win against Korea's Sanghyeon Son in the quarterfinals. However, a formidable opponent in Kazakhstan's Assyl Aitakyn proved too tough to overcome in the semifinal, resulting in Akash's defeat by technical superiority. Nevertheless, he remains determined to clinch a bronze medal and will face Mongolia's Enkhbold Enkhbat in the next round.

Meanwhile, Yash Tushir's campaign in the 74kg category came to an end after a defeat in the repechage round against Syrbaz Talgat from Kazakhstan. Similarly, Sandeep Singh Maan faced disappointment in the 86kg category, losing his qualification bout to Japan's Tatsuya Shirai.

Vinay's journey in the 92kg category was halted after a defeat to Kazakhstan's Adilet Davlumbayev. However, Anirudh Kumar managed to keep India's medal hopes alive in the 125kg category despite a loss in the quarterfinals against Iran's Amir Hossein Abbas Zare. With a chance for redemption in the bronze-medal bout against Bahrain's Shamil Magomed A Sharipov, Anirudh remains determined to secure a podium finish.

India had a successful outing on Thursday, with Udit, Abhimanyou, and Vicky securing medals in their respective categories. As the men's free-style competition concludes today, the focus shifts to the women's bouts scheduled to begin on Saturday.