TIL Desk Sports/ Returning to the World Championship after eight years, double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar lost his opening round bout to Azerbaijan’s Khadzhimurad Gadzhiyev, in Nur-Sutlan, Kazakhstan, on Friday.
Using all his experience, the wily Indian had raced to a 9-4 lead but lost seven points in a row to lose the 74kg qualification bout. Sushil employed a four-point throw after trailing 0-2 to take lead and further consolidated it with another four-point throw, which came from a difficult position.
The Azerbaijan camp challenged the throw but lost the call, giving one additional point to Sushil for a 9-4 lead at the break. However, the second period belonged to the Azerbaijan, who first pushed Sushil out and the scored of a takedown and took the lead with a gut wrench from ground position.
The two-time Olympic medallist
will now have to wait to know his fate. If Gadzhiyev reaches the final, Sushil,
will get a chance to fight for Olympic qualification as well as a bronze.
