Punjab Royals took the joint top spot with a 5-2 victory over Delhi Sultans in a Pro Wrestling League (PWL) contest at the K.D. Jadhav Stadium on Sunday evening.

Punjab are now on four points from three outings. They have the same number of points as fellow table toppers Jaipur Ninjas and Haryana Hammers who have played one match less.

Delhi, on the other hand, are yet to open their account. They have lost both their ties so far and languish at the bottom of the table along with UP Dangal.

Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik (women’s 58kg) and her fiance Satyavart Kadian (men’s 97kg) were the only Delhi wrestlers who managed to win their respective bouts on Sunday.

Punjab’s Jitendra (men’s 74kg) was adjudged the player of the tie for his gritty comeback win over Delhi promising grappler Parveen Rana.

Punjab captain Vladimir Khinchegashvili won the toss and decided to block the women’s 48kg category. Delhi skipper Sakshi, on the other hand, decided to block the men’s 70kg division.

Vladimir got the proceedings off on a positive note for Punjab by outclassing Delhi’s Pankaj Kumar 8-1 in the men’s 57kg category.

Pankaj displayed good upper body strength to keep Vladimir at bay early in the first period.

But the reigning Olympic champion from Georgia used his superior technique to take the lead with a four-point tackle.

Another takedown in the last seconds of the opening round saw the Punjab skipper go into the break with a 6-0 lead.

The Georgian star earned another couple of points early in the second and proceeded to use his superior technique and superb reflexes to keep Pankaj’s repeated attacks at bay.

Although Pankaj managed to score a point in the last minute of the bout with a pushout, it was never going to be enough.

National champion Jitendra extended Punjab’s lead with an action packed 5-4 win over Delhi’s Pankaj Rana in the men’s 74kg division.

Rana took the lead in the first period with a takedown followed by a flipover which earned him four points.

But Jitendra turned things around in dramatic fashion in an action packed second round.

He earned his first point after the referee applied the passivity rule against Rana.

The reigning national champion earned a couple of points shortly after with a takedown before another two-point move right at the end earned him a dramatic, come-from-behind victory.

Nigeria’s Odunayo Folasade Adekuoroye gave Punjab a formidable 3-0 lead by quashing Sangeeta Phogat of Delhi by technical superiority.

Odunayo used her superior technique and physical strength to earn points with impunity before the contest was stopped when she was enjoying a 15-0 lead.

Satyavart Kadian reduced the gap for Delhi by overpowering Punjab’s Krishan Kumar 14-4 in the men’s 97kg division.

Satyawart opened up a 4-0 lead in the first round before Krishan earned a point.

The Delhi grappler totally dominated the second round to earn a well-deserved win.

Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik reduced the deficit further by defeating Manju Kumari of Punjab 10-0 in the women’s 58kg category.

Sakshi opened up a 4-0 lead in the first round and never looked back from there.

But any hopes of a Delhi comeback that the local crowd may have nurtured was nipped in the bud when Rio Olympics silver medallist Togrul Asgarov of Azerbaijan handed Punjab an insurmountable 4-2 lead.

The former European champion needed just 30 seconds to pin Delhi’s 2013 World Championship bronze medallist Bajrang Punia and clinch the men’s 65kg contest.

Former European champion Vasilisa Marzaliuk of Belarus rounded off the proceedings on a high note for Punjab with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Delhi’s Alina Makhynia.

Punjab captain Vladimir asserted that his team is confident of winning the PWL title this year.

“My team is awesome. I am very confident of becoming champions this season,” he said.

“I have good amount of experience in Olympics and world championships hence I believe I am able to apply my techniques at the right moment,” Punjab’s Azerbaijan star Asgarov added.

“This is my first time participating in the league hence, it’s a great learning experience being here in the PWL.”

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Rio 2016 Olympics bronze medalist wrestler Sakshi Malik was accorded a grand welcome by people and the state government as the motorcade carrying her entered Haryana.

Sakshi, who arrived in Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport early on Wednesday from Rio de Janeiro, was given a rousing reception at the airport itself. The Haryana government in a state-level function held to honour Sakshi, rewarded her with a Rs 2.5 crore check and announced a government job for her.

The Delhi government had also announced a reward of Rs 1 crore for her. “I got a very good welcome. Felt very nice. Lot of people from my village and state came to receive me,” Sakshi, who stopped at New Delhi’s Haryana Bhawan for some time, told the media.

“I will rest for a few days and then begin the training schedule again,” said a visibly happy Sakshi, who got a first medal for India at the Olympics by winning bronze in the 58-kg women freestyle wrestling event.

Sakshi’s motorcade delayed reaching Bahadurgarh town as she was stopped and honoured by people from various villages in Haryana along the Delhi to Rohtak highway.

The wrestler was accompanied by her mother Sudesh and father Sukhbir Malik. She was accorded the status of a state guest by the Haryana government.

Haryana’s Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Anil Vij, who was present in Rio as the head of state delegation, accompanied the star wrestler on the return flight.

At the insistence of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the event to felicitate Sakshi was pre-poned from Wednesday evening to morning. The venue was also shifted from her hometown Rohtak to Bahadurgarh town, 30 km from Delhi. Khattar, along with other ministers and officials, was present at the venue to welcome and honour Sakshi.

Sakshi was given the honour to be the flag-bearer at the closing ceremony of the Rio games.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia last week visited Sakshi’s native place in Rohtak, 70 km from Delhi. He announced a direct promotion for Sakshi Malik’s father Sukhbir Malik — a bus conductor with Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).

IANS