Pakistan ended their wrestling journey in the Asian Games on a disappointing note when their remaining two wrestlers also exited without giving any breakthrough.
Former Youth Olympics bronze medallist Inayat Ullah crashed out of the men’s freestyle 74kg competition after suffering a 12-2 defeat against Kazakhstan’s Nurkozha Kaipanov in the round of 16 in Nagoya.
Inayat showed resistance early but the 2024 Tirana World Championship gold medallist Kaipanov steadily took control, winning the opening period 6-2 before completing the bout with another six points in the second. The Kazakh wrestler secured victory by technical superiority, ending Pakistan’s campaign in the weight category.
Meanwhile Muhammad Gulzar suffered a one-sided defeat against Iran’s Amirali Azarpira in the men’s freestyle 97kg round of 16.
Azarpira dominated from the outset, winning the opening period 6-0 before adding four more points in the second to complete a 10-0 victory by technical superiority.
Gulzar struggled to create scoring opportunities throughout the bout. The Iranian wrestler maintained control and sealed his place in the quarter-finals without conceding a single point.
Gulzar was then given a repechage fight where he ended with a heavy defeat against Turkmenistan’s Shatlyk Hemelyayev.
Gulzar struggled to find a way into the contest as Hemelyayev dominated from the opening exchanges. The Turkmen wrestler collected 12 unanswered points to secure a victory by technical superiority, with Gulzar unable to register a point.
“You know we need more exposure for mat- wrestling development,” Pakistan Wrestling Federation’s (PWF) president Arshad Sattar told The Express Tribune on Saturday.
“Our grapplers are product of mud-wrestling which is their key source of income and you know mat-wrestling is something different and this needs a huge push with the massive assistance of the state. If sate backs us so I hope we will start lifting medals even at the Olympics in the next few years,” Arshad said.
Mohammad Abdullah and Noman Zaka were the other wrestlers who also failed to click on Friday.
Meanwhile Pakistan’s key taekwondo fighter Hamzah Omar Saeed bowed out of the men’s +80kg taekwondo competition after losing 2-0 to Thailand’s Jack Mercer at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Saturday.
Mercer won the opening round 4-2 before extending his advantage in the second, winning 7-5 to secure victory on the final score.
Saeed managed two body-punch points and three points from body kicks, while Mercer also landed a head kick worth three points. The Thai fighter maintained control through the contest
With no Gam-jeom penalties recorded for either athlete, Mercer advanced to the quarter-finals.
Shahzaib Khan had eliminated on Friday.