Star Wrestler Kumar Suffers Shock Asian Games Defeat

Jakarta, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Aug, 2018 ) :India's two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar bowed out of the Asian Games after a shock opening-round defeat in the 74kg wrestling category in Jakarta on Sunday.

The 35-year-old medal favourite went out with a whimper to Adam Batirov from Bahrain as let slip a 2-1 lead to lose 3-5, despite vocal support from Indian fans.

Kumar's chance of making the repechage round also went up in smoke after Batirov lost his quarter-final to Japan's Yuhi Fujinami. If Batirov had made the final, Kumar would have had a chance to win bronze through repechage.

Kumar, who won a bronze and a silver at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics respectively, lost his first bout in more than four years at the Tbilisi Grand Prix in Georgia in July.

He was exempted from the Indian trials for the Asian Games, given his past results including winning his third Commonwealth gold in Australia's Gold Coast in April.