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Sushil shows class with CWG gold

Last updated on: October 10, 2010 19:48 IST

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World champion Sushil Kumar added another feather to his cap, winning a gold medal in the men's 66-kg freestyle wrestling at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, on Sunday.

A near-capacity audience, that included Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul, witnessed the Olympic bronze medallist outclass Heinrich Barnes of South Africa in the final.

Sushil went on the attack from the start and raced to 2-0 lead before pinning down his opponent. His gold effort came without losing a single point in the tournament.

The next title bout was a high-voltage affair between India's Anuj Kumar and Inam Muhammad of Pakistan, in the freestyle 84-kg category.

Anuj conceded two early points but then staged a great comeback to take a 3-2 lead in the first period.

In the second period, it was Muhammad who took the initiative to win the round with one point and set up a thrilling final third period, which also finished tied as both failed to score.

In the ensuing tie-breaker, Muhammad drew home the advantage of the draw to clinch a point and win the gold medal, the second for Pakistan in the Delhi Games.

Canadia's Arjan Bhullar then got the better of Joginder Kumar in the 120kg freestyle with a pin down in the second period to clinch the gold medal.

Incidentally, Bhullar's father wrestled in India before immigrating to Canada.

Earlier, Sushil stormed into the final after pining down Jarjou Famara of Gambia in a mere nine seconds with the first move of the semi-final bout.

He had earlier made it to the semi-finals in fine style without conceding a single point in his first two matches. 

Anil Kumar took just 33 seconds to beat Craig Pilling of Wales with a perfect pin down to win the bronze medal in the men's 55-kg freestyle category.

Azhar Hussain had won Pakistan's first gold medal at the Games, when he pinned down Nigerian Ebikeweim Welson in the second period after the two wrestlers were level on 3-3 in the men's 55-kg freestyle.

The last time Pakistan won a gold medal in the sport was 40 years back, when at the 1970 Commonwealth Games, they won four gold medals.

India ended with 10 gold medals in wrestling that also saw them stay second in the medals tally with 27 golds.

Harish Kotian in New Delhi