NEW DELHI, Oct 10: Pakistan took their first Commonwealth Games wrestling titles for 40 years on Sunday, winning two golds and spoiling India's party in the final session of the tournament.
India started the day hoping for a sweep of gold medals but were thwarted by their arch-rivals who notched up defeats against the hosts in a quarter-final and final.
With India edging just ahead of England on 26 golds to 24 going into the evening session, every takedown became a matter of national pride as three unrelated Kumars — Sushil, Anuj, Joginder — vied for glory.
But it was clear India were not going to have it all their own way when Pakistan's Azhar Hussain defeated another Kumar — Anil — in a tense quarter-final battle in the 55kg.
Azhar gave an impressive performance of clever footwork and brute strength to take Nigerian Ebikewenimo Welson out by a fall in the second session of the 55kg freestyle final.
“We don't have the proper Greco-Roman coaches, but still we went for it and for the country's sake we got the silver in the Greco-Roman and now gold in the freestyle category as well,” Pakistan's head freestyle coach M.H. Omar said.
His team had not taken a Games wrestling title since they won four golds in Edinburgh 1970 but the wait was to be shorter this time with Mohammad Inam giving Pakistan a second gold within an hour.
Inam was overpowered by India's Anuj Kumar in the first session but, spurred on by Azhar's victory, found the inspiration to overcome the favourite and the chants of a partisan home crowd to win the next two sessions.
“It's a dream come true to win for my country in wrestling,” Inam said.
“Two gold medals in one day is the result of the hard work that the wrestling association in Pakistan has given us.
“I was feeling very proud when the Pakistani national anthem was being played and the Pakistan flag was being raised in Delhi.”
Indian world champion Sushil Kumar proved to be the shining light for the hosts.
India's latest posterboy, one of the nation's best medal hopes after winning the world championships in Moscow last month, treated his fans to an emphatic victory over South African Heinrich Barnes in the 66kg final.
Kumar pinned Barnes to the mat in the second session to close out the final 7-0.
The victory capped a formidable day's wrestling for Kumar during which he managed not to concede a single point, breezing through his first two matches before winning his semi-final in just nine seconds with the first move of the match.
India are the first nation to win 10 gold medals in wrestling at a single Games while Barnes' silver was the 10th for South Africa across all sports.
Canadian Arjan Bhullar added more disappointment for India, defeating Joginder Kumar in the 120kg final with the Indian complaining that he lost because he was too sweaty.
Results:55kg division:
Bronze medal match: Anil Kumar (IND) bt Craig Pilling (WAL) 3-0. Final: Azhar Hussain (PAK) bt Ebikewenimo Welson (NGR) 9-5.
66kg division:
Bronze medal match: Chris Prickett (CAN) bt Mohammad Salman 8-4. Final: Sushil Kumar (IND) bt Heinrich Barnes (RSA) 7-0.
84kg division:
Bronze medal match: Andrew Dick (NGR) bt Gerald Meyer (RSA) 4-1. Final: Mohammad Inam (PAK) bt Anuj Kumar (IND) 4-3.
120kg division:
Bronze medal match: Hugues Onanena (CMR) bt Denis Roberts (AUS) 4-3 Final: Arjan Bhullar (CAN) bt Joginder Kumar (IND) 4-0.—AFP
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