India Wins Three, Canada Two on Opening Day of Wrestling at Commonwealth Games

By Tim Foley

GLASGOW -- Buoyed by the return of 2010 World Champion and two-time Olympic medalist Sushil KUMAR, the Indian wrestling team sprinted past their Commonwealth Games competition Tuesday to win three of five weight classes at the SECC Arena.

Team Canada won the remaining two weights as World No.1 Erica WEIBE dominated the 75kg in female wrestling and Korey JARVIS battled to gold at 125kg.

Kumar, who has sat out much of the past two years, utilized basic head snaps and short offense to win all four of his matches and take home the gold at 74kg. The Indian wrestler faced Qamal ABBAS of Pakistan in the finals ultimately catching Abbas in a modified cradle.

Weibe, the world’s top-ranked 75kg wrestler, went 4-0 on the day, besting opponents from Nigeria and England by technical fall and pinning JYOTI of India. The Canadian star’s toughest match of the day was a 4-2 decision win over silver medalist Annabel ALI (CMR).

Amit KUMAR (IND) picked up his first Commonwealth Games title at 57kg, working past Ebikweminomo WELSON (NGR), 6-2. The young Nigerian wrestler attacked for much of the pair’s six minutes on the mat, even finding a lift near the end of the first period, but it was Kumar’s down-block and low double leg re-shot that commanded more points.

In the 48kg female wrestling finals it was VINESH (IND) who survived the late comeback of England’s Yana RATTIGAN, 11-8, to win gold.

Canada’s Jarvis won the 125kg category in men’s freestyle, 3-0, profiting from a head snap, go-behind in the first period and penalty point in the second.

Wrestling resumes tomorrow at 10am local with female wrestling weight categories 53kg, 58kg and 69kg and men’s freestyle at 61kg and 97kg.

FS 57kg
GOLD: Amit KUMAR (IND) df. Ebikweminomo WELSON (NGR), 6-2 
BRONZE: Craig PILLING (WAL) df. Omar TAFAIL (ENG) 8-5
BRONZE: Azhar HUSSEIN (PAK) df. Bokang MASUNYANE (RSA) by TF, 11-1

Semifinal: Ebikweminomo WELSON (NGR) df. Cragi PILLING (WAL) by TF, 10-0
Semifinal: Amit KUMAR (IND) df. Bokang MASUNYANE (RSA) by TF, 10-0
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FW 48kg
GOLD: VINESH (IND) v. Yana RATTIGAN, 11-8
BRONZE: Jasmine MIAN (CAN) v. Rosemary NWEKE (NGR) by TF, 13-2
BRONZE: Rebecaa MUAMBO (CMR) v. Fiona ROBERTSON (SCO) by TF, 10-0

Semifinal: Vinesh (IND) df. Jasmine MIAN (CAN) by TF, 12-1
Semifinal: Yana RATTIGAN (ENG) df. Rebecaa MUAMBO (CMR) by FALL

FS 74kg
GOLD: Sushil KUMAR (IND) df. Qamar ABBAS (PAK) by FALL 
BRONZE: Mike GRUNDY (ENG) df. David GALEA (MLT), by TF, 10-0
BRONZE: Melvin BIBO (NGR) df. Jayden LAWRENCE (AUS) by FALL

Semifinal: Qamar ABBAS (PAK) df. Mike GRUNDY (ENG) by FALL
Semifinal: Sushil KUMAR (IND) df. Melvin BIBO (NGR), 8-4

FW 75kg
Nordic: Erica WEIBE (CAN) df. JYOTI (IND) by FALL
Nordic: Annabel ALI (CMR) v. Blessing ONYEBUCHI (NGR), 10-1

Nordic: Erica WIEBE(CAN) df. Sophie EDWARDS (ENG) by TF, 10-0
Nordic: Blessing ONYEBUCHI (NGR) df. JYOTI (IND) by FALL
Nordic: Annabel ALI (CMR) df. Sophie EDWARDS by FALL
Nordic: Erica WIEBE (CAN) df. Blessing ONYEBUCHI (NGR) by TF, 12-2
Nordic: JYOTI (IND) df. Sophie EDWARDS (ENG) by TF, 13-2
Nordic: Erica WIEBE (CAN) df. Annabel ALI (CMR), 4-2
Nordic: Blessing ONYEBUCHI (NGR) df. Sophie EDWARDS (ENG) by TF
Nordic: Annabel ALI (CMR) df. JYOTI (IND) by FALL

FS 125kg
GOLD: Korey JARVIS (CAN) df. Rajeev TOMAR (IND), 3-0
BRONZE: Sinivie BOLTC (NGR) Marcus CARNEY (NZL) by TF, 10-0
BRONZE: Chinu (ENG) df. Hollis Ochineng MKANGA (KEN) by TF, 12-1

Semifinal: Rajeev TOMAR (IND) v. Marcus CARNEY (NZL) by TF, 13-1
Semifinal: Korey Jarvis (CAN) df. Chinu (ENG) byt TF, 12-2