Pakistan’s Hassan Ali Bhola won a bronze medal in the 70kg category at the Asian Youth Games Beach Wrestling competition, marking a strong finish for the national wrestling contingent.

In his bronze medal bout, Hassan Ali defeated Tajikistan’s Idris Bakhromov by 2-0, securing Pakistan’s only medal in the wrestling event. His win capped off an impressive run in the tournament, which saw both Pakistani wrestlers advance deep into the knockout rounds.

Abdul Rahman falls short in bronze medal fight

Pakistan’s Abdul Rahman, who competed in the 80kg category, missed out on a podium finish after losing to a Jordanian wrestler in the bronze medal fight. Despite his defeat, Abdul Rahman’s overall performance earned praise as he had shown consistent strength through the earlier rounds.

He began his campaign with two consecutive wins — first defeating Saudi Arabia’s Hamid Tariq Al-Majrashi (0-2) and then beating South Korea’s Kim Ya-chin. Abdul Rahman ranked second in his group, advancing to the semi-finals, but was defeated by Iran’s Toraj Khodai (0-2) in the knockout stage.

Strong showing despite semi-final losses

Both Hassan Ali and Abdul Rahman reached the semi-finals of their respective weight categories, highlighting Pakistan’s growing potential in beach wrestling, a sport still gaining recognition at the youth level in Asia.

In the semi-finals, Hassan Ali was defeated by Iran’s Sina Shokohi, while Abdul Rahman lost to Toraj Khodai of Iran. The setbacks pushed both wrestlers into the bronze medal matches, where only Hassan Ali managed to convert his opportunity.

Group stage performance and progression

Hassan Ali’s campaign began with a winning debut against Jordan’s Abdul Rahman (0-2) in the 70kg category. He later faced tough competition, losing a close match to India’s Sanjay Nagnath (1-2) but still qualified for the semi-finals after winning two out of three group stage matches.

Similarly, Abdul Rahman’s group stage run included victories over Saudi Arabia and South Korea, but he suffered a defeat against India’s Ravinder, finishing second in his group and qualifying for the semi-finals.