Neeraj takes 82kg Greco-Roman gold
The Hindu
Special Correspondent
Special Correspondent
KOCHI
After downing Services’ Parveen in a close thriller to take the 82kg Greco-Roman gold in the National under-23 wrestling championship, international Neeraj did the vanishing act at the Rajiv Gandhi indoor stadium here on Saturday.
He skipped the medal ceremony and the dope test. His coaches were summoned and asked for an explanation. And when they said that Neeraj’s phone was switched off, they were asked to wait. That put pressure on the wrestler and his coaches.
Maharashtra international Ravi Raj had done a similar vanishing act a day earlier, after winning the men’s 74kg freestyle title.
“Ravi Raj turned up last night and gave his dope test. Even Neeraj came later and gave his dope test today. Now we will have to wait and see what the dope test result shows and then act,” V.N. Prasood, secretary, Wrestling Federation of India, told The Hindu on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Haryana led the points table in the men’s freestyle and women’s event at the end of the championship’s penultimate day while Delhi was on top of the pack in the Greco-Roman.
Daniel Quizon is the latest to join the band of leaders. The Philippines player beat Russian Artion Stribuk on the third board in the ninth round at the Gift City Club on Tuesday. The four overnight leaders – Kazybek Nogerbek of Kazakhstan, Russia’s Rudik Makarian, Mamikon Gharibyan of Armenia, and Colombia’s Jose Gabriel Cardoso – were featured in the drawn games on the top two boards.
On the seam-friendly pitches at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, Axar Patel’s left-arm spin plays second fiddle to the pacers. Axar, however, has added great value as a batter. The southpaw, promoted to No. 4 in the Pakistan outing on Sunday, held the Indian innings together with an 18-ball 20.