Wrestler Sushil Kumar loses first bout in four years

Before Wednesday's defeat, Sushil had lost a bout way back in May 2014 in Sassari (Italy) where he lost to Luca Lampis of France.

Sushil lost 4-8 to Polish grappler Andrzej Piotr Sokalski in the 74 kg category. (Source: Express File)

Wrestler Sushil Kumar on Wednesday lost his first bout in more than four years while competing at Tbilisi Grand Prix in Georgia while his compatriots Bajrang Punia and Deepak Punia progressed to the quarterfinals. Sushil, who is a two time Olympics medalist, lost 4-8 to Polish grappler Andrzej Piotr Sokalski in the 74 kg category.

It is not an ideal result for Sushil in the build-up to the Asian Games. The WFI had exempted him from trials, held last month. The 35-year-old was handed exemption, given his past result and form as he had won his third CWG gold in Gold Coast.

Sushil had lost a bout way back in May 2014 in Sassari (Italy) where he lost to Luca Lampis of France. He was re-admitted to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) after a gap of two years last month.

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In the 65 kg freestyle, Bajrang defeated Ukraine’s Gor Ogannesyan to set up a quarterfinal clash with Iran’s Yones Aliakbar Emamichoghaei.

Deepak outwitted Georgy Rubaev of Moldova in the round of 1/8 and will face local hope Saba Chikhradze in the 86kg quarterfinals.

(With PTI inputs)