Internet Desk: Jaipur Ninjas thrashed Delhi Sultans 4-3 in a Pro Wrestling League (PWL) tie at the KD Jadhav Stadium on Friday evening.
Jaipur now share the top spot with last year’s runner-up Haryana Hammers. Both teams have four points each after two ties.
Delhi, who played their first tie in this year’s PWL, are yet to open their account.
The highlight of the contest was the much awaited bout in the women’s 58 kilogram category which featured Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik.
Sakshi did not disappoint her fans by claiming a comprehensive 16-0 win over Jaipur’s Pooja Dhanda.
Sakshi virtually made it a no-contest by taking a 8-0 lead in the first round.
The Olympic bronze medallist earned two points early in the bout with a takedown before another takedown and a couple of flipovers 10 seconds before the break earned her another six points.
The Delhi captain continued to rake in the points in the second round as well to complete a comprehensive victory.
But by then, Delhi had already lost the tie as Jaipur were enjoying a 4-2 lead in the seven-bout contest.
Georgian star Elizbar Olikadze gave Jaipur a solid start with an easy 8-0 win over Delhi’s Satyavart Kadian in the men’s 97kg division — the first bout of the tie.
The bout was off to a slow start with both wrestlers engaging in a massive show of upper body strength. The Georgian took the first point a little before the two-minute mark with a pushout. He then doubled his tally before the break with another pushout.
Elizbar produced a six-point burst in the early stages of the second round with a takedown followed by a couple of flipovers. That ultimately proved to be enough for the win.
Jakob Makarashvili doubled Jaipur’s lead with a fascinating 10-7 win over promising youngster Praveen Rana of Delhi in the men’s 74kg category.
The first round was a tactical battle with Rana producing a dogged defence to the World Cup medallist’s attacking moves.
The Georgian managed to bring Rana to ground with a tackle on the legs, but the Indian replied with a leg hold of his own for a successful defence. With the passivity rule applied against him, Rana went on the offensive and bagged one point with a pushout.
But the Jaipur grappler took the lead in the final minute of the first round with a takedown which fetched him two points.
Rana produced a three-point burst almost immediately after the resumption, but Jakob used his superior experience to slowly crawl his way back.