Asian Games: Bajrang Punia braced for comeback of a different kind

When Bajrang Punia takes the mat at Hangzhou’s Lin’an Sports Culture and Exhibition Centre on October 6 to start his Asian Games campaign.

It will mark the first sighting of the defending champion in a competition this year. In an ideal world, Punia – Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist – would’ve started as a favourite, but as the year has shown in considerable detail, these are far from ideal times for Indian wrestling. Punia though has been at the forefront, but first a reality check.