Bajrang Punia became the fourth Indian wrestler to reach the final of the Senior World Championships after he defeated Alejandra Valdes Tobie of Cuba 4-3 in the semi-final of the 65kg event in Budapest. The 24-year-old is in the final of the Worlds for the first time in his career. He has a bronze medal from the 2013 edition of the tournament.
Sushil Kumar in 2010 and Amit Dahiya in 2013 are the two others wrestlers who have reached the final of world championships. Punia displayed great of work on the mat on Sunday, especially in the semi-final. He dominated the standing wrestling, and with two takedowns in the first period, took a 4-0 lead. He will wrestle Japan’s Takuto Otoguro in the final on Monday. If Bajrang manages to win gold, it will be a rare achievement to win titles at all major championships in a single season.