Wrestling: Deepak Punia makes it to gold medal bout

In a thrilling match at the Asian Games 2023, Indian wrestler Deepak Punia secured his place in the men's freestyle 86kg final by defeating Uzbekistan's Javrail Shapiev with a narrow margin of 4-3. This victory ensured the 24-year-old Punia a guaranteed medal, while Shapiev, aged 26, will now compete for the bronze medal.

Deepak Punia, who previously represented India in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, faces a formidable challenge in the gold medal bout. He will be up against Hassan Yazdani, the reigning champion from the Rio 2016 Olympics and a three-time world champion in 2017, 2019, and 2021. Yazdani, hailing from IR Iran, is also the defending Asian Games champion in the 86kg category, setting the stage for an intense and highly anticipated final match.