PWL season 2: Sandeep Tomar stuns Rio Olympics champion

Sandeep Tomar stunned Rio Olympics champion Vladimir Khinchegashvili to help Haryana Hammers defeat Punjab Royals 5-2 for their fifth straight win in the Pro Wrestling League Season Two in the capital on Monday.

With the win, the table-topping Hammers remained unbeaten in the group stage and now clash with fourth-placed Jaipur Ninjas in the first semi-final. Punjab will face Mumbai Maharathis in the second semis.

The first bout set the tone for the clash as Tomar posted an upset 3-1 win over Khinchegashvili in the men’s 57kg category. It was the bout of the tournament with Tomar catching the Russian off-guard with his movement and defence.

Khinchegashvili managed to win a solitary point in Round One but Tomar made a strong comeback, showcasing some brilliant defensive skills. He earned one point due to passivity before stunning his stronger opponent by taking him down in the last 30 seconds of the tie. In the second contest, Abdusalam Gadisov of Haryana proved too strong for Krishan Kumar, winning by a comfortable 5-0 margin in the men’s 97kg bout.

Indu Chaudhary then handed Haryana Hammers a 3-0 lead beating Nirmala Devi of Punjab Royals 2-1 in the women’s 48kg division.

However, Ilias Bekbulatov kept Punjab’s hopes alive by winning the men’s 65kg bout 11-1 over Haryana’s Rajneesh.

But Punjab’s happiness was short-lived as World Championship gold medallist Magomed Kurbanaliev of Haryana wrapped up the bout as well as the match 16-0 via technical superiority against Pankaj

Rana in just two minutes and 59 seconds in the men’s 70kg.With an unassailable 4-1 lead, there was no pressure on the two Rio Olympics bronze medallists — Marwa Amri and Sofia Mattsson — but they posted contrasting results in the last two ties. Marwa thrashed Manju Kumari 16-0 but Sofia failed to counter Odunayo Folasade Adekuoroye’s techniques in a 1-6 defeat.