Viresh saves the day for India

Vinayak Padmadeo

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 18 

After winning his first international medal Viresh Kundu started to bend down to take the blessings of a mediaperson. Happiness at winning a medal in front of home crowd and adrenaline running in his veins perhaps had blurred his vision. 

It took the boy from Khautali village in UP’s Muzaffarnagar a second or so to realise that he was being led for a media interaction after he comprehensively beat South Korea’s Jeongyul Kwon.

But the confidence wasn’t lost. “I got a lot of time to think after I lost in the semi-final. I was sad that I lost, but then I had to quickly focus on the bronze medal fight. Thankfully, I could win today. This is my first international medal,” said Viresh, who is a BA (final) student at the Chaudhary Charan University, Baghpat.

Viresh was talking about his close 6-8 loss to Iran’s Vahid Dadkhah Ghasem Abadi in the semifinal. With 10 seconds to go and the bout tied at 6-6, Viresh was set to enter the finals, but in trying to complete a move, he was caught and conceded two points and lost.

“I wasn’t intimidated by the Iranian. I knew I could beat him. But after the loss coach (Naresh Kumar) told me to concentrate on my strengths and forget the loss,” he added.

Viresh started at the akhara in Chaprauli, Baghpat, run by Kishanpal Khalifa till about last year when he moved to the academy run by Rambir Singh Kundu in Zirakpur, Punjab.

“Results weren’t coming when I was in Chaprauli. My coach then suggested I go to Rambir Kundu’s academy. He said he was the best in the country right now. I agreed and here I am,” said a smiling Viresh.

Incidentally, Viresh was trailing 0-2 against the Korean soon after the start of the bout. But Viresh turned the tables on the Korean, while he was going for a four-point throw. He drew level with the reversal move and then shot to a commanding 6-2 lead with a four-point throw on the Korean. The lead then went up to 10-2 with another of his signature throws. 

Kwon thought he had cut the deficit to 10-7 after the referee awarded him five points for successfully completing grand amplitude throw, but a subsequent challenge by the Indian coach meant the bout ended 14-5 in favour of the Indian wrestler.

“It was his move but I had the counter and better control so I was awarded the points,” Viresh clarified.

Others disappoint

Incidentally, Viresh’s was the only medal for the hosts at the ongoing Asian Junior Wrestling Championships on Wednesday.

The other Indian in the bronze medal repechage bout, Malkit Hooda, failed to win a podium place. He was beaten 7-0 by Iran’s Sajjad Ali Imentalabfoumani.

Sachin Rana (60kg), Kuldeep Malik (72kg) and Sanjeet (82kg) all failed to advance to the medal round.