Abdul Rahman narrowly misses podium finish in 80kg category
Pakistan’s Hassan Ali Bhola secured a bronze medal in the 70kg category at the Asian Youth Games Beach Wrestling competition, giving Pakistan its only podium finish in the event and highlighting the nation’s emerging talent in the sport.
Hassan defeated Tajikistan’s Idris Bakhromov 2–0 in the bronze medal bout after a strong run through the group and knockout stages. His victory capped an impressive campaign for Pakistan’s youth wrestling contingent.
Abdul Rahman falls short in 80kg bronze medal bout
In the 80kg category, Pakistan’s Abdul Rahman narrowly missed out on a medal after losing his bronze medal match to a Jordanian wrestler. Despite the defeat, Rahman earned praise for his consistent performances and determination throughout the tournament.
He began his campaign with back-to-back wins, defeating Saudi Arabia’s Hamid Tariq Al-Majrashi (0–2) and South Korea’s Kim Ya-chin to advance to the semi-finals. However, he was stopped by Iran’s Toraj Khodai (0–2), which pushed him into the bronze medal match.
Pakistan’s strong showing in beach wrestling debut
Both Hassan Ali and Abdul Rahman reached the semi-finals of their respective weight categories — a significant achievement given that beach wrestling is still a developing discipline in Pakistan’s sports landscape.
In the semi-finals, Hassan Ali lost to Iran’s Sina Shokohi, while Abdul Rahman was defeated by Khodai, who went on to reach the final. Hassan later bounced back to claim bronze, demonstrating skill and resilience under pressure.
Group stage highlights
Hassan Ali opened his tournament with a win over Jordan’s Abdul Rahman (0–2) in the 70kg group stage, followed by a close 1–2 loss to India’s Sanjay Nagnath, but still advanced to the semi-finals after securing two wins in his group.
Abdul Rahman, competing in the 80kg division, also performed strongly in his group, finishing second after wins over Saudi Arabia and South Korea, before falling to India’s Ravinder in his final pool match.
Pakistan’s growing presence in Asian wrestling
Pakistan’s performance at the Asian Youth Games underlines its growing potential in regional wrestling. Despite facing powerhouse nations like Iran and India, the young wrestlers demonstrated skill, composure, and competitiveness on the international stage.
Officials from the Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF) praised the athletes for their commitment and called the medal “a promising sign for the future of beach wrestling in Pakistan.”
