PWL: Aleksander helps Haryana win third straight tie

Aleksander Khotsianivski of Ukraine won the 125 kg super heavyweight category bout against Satender Malik 7-0 to give Haryana Hammers their third straight win in the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) here on Tuesday.

Haryana won 4-3 sending Delhi's hopes of making the semis into a tailspin.

Aleksander picked three points in the first round against the defensive Satender and added four more in the next with a near fall and a takedown to clinch the decider after Sakshi Malik got the better of double world championships bronze medallist Tatyana Omelchenko of Azerbaijan in the previous bout.

It was Sakshi's toughest test so far in PWL-4 and she put up a determined effort to beat Tatyana 2-1 in a strategically planned 62 kg bout by the Indian to make the team score 3-3 before the last bout of the day.

Sakshi played a very calculated bout mixed with aggression and caution to hold the Azerbaijan wrestler at bay.

Earlier, the Delhi Sultans captain and current Russian champion Khetik Tsabalov started off cautiously but upped the ante in the second round to score a comfortable 3-1 win in the 74 kg category over Haryana Hammers' 2017 Commonwealth Championships silver medallist Praveen to give his team a winning start.

Junior world champion Anastasia Nichita brought the Hammers back into the tie scoring four takedown points in the first round and four more through leg-rolls and takedown in the second, to win her 57 kg category bout against Katherina Zhydachivska of Delhi Sultans 12-0.

Haryana Hammers' world U23 silver medallist Ravi Kumar, who defeated Sandeep Tomar in his previous bout, was all over Delhi Sultans' Pankaj in either rounds and won the men's 57 kg bout 5-0 to put his side 2-1 ahead after three games.

Delhi Sultans national champion Pinki, who had pipped world champion Vanesa Kaladzinskaya in an earlier round, got the better of the 2017 Commonwealth championships gold medal winner Seema 4-2 in an intense women's 53 kg bout to bring Delhi back into the tie.

The 2018 world championships silver medallist of Haryana Hammers Ali Shabanov showed tremendous skill and strength to get the better of last year's national champion Delhi Sultans' Praveen 16-2 in a completely one-sided encounter in the 86 kg category and put the Hammers ahead once again in the tie. Haryana were leading 3-2 after five bouts.

--IANS

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