Whom will Bajrang Punia face in opening round of Tokyo Olympics? Check full draw here

India's veteran wrestler Bajrang Punia will kickstart his Tokyo Olympics 65 kg freestyle category wrestling on August 6. Bajrang, who is seeded second at the Tokyo Games and is the current world number, is a two-time Asian champion and has also won a silver at the World Championships. Here is a look at who will Bajrang Punia face in the opening round of Tokyo Olympics 2020 and a look at his side of the draw.

Bajrang Punia vs Ernazar Akmataliev preview

Bajrang Punia will begin his Olympics debut against Kyrgyzstan's Ernazar Akmataliev on Friday. Akmataliev began the sport in 2008 after watching famous Kyrgyzstani wrestlers Kanatbek Begaliev and Ruslan Tyumenbaev compete at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He secured a berth at the Tokyo Olympics after beating Ilyas Bekbulatov in the semifinals of the Asian Olympic Games qualifier.

Tokyo Olympics: Bajrang Punia's road to the semi-finals

If Bajrang wins his opening bout against Ernazar, he could either face Asian championships bronze medallist Morteza Ghiasi of Iran or Haithem Dhakhlaoui of Tunisia. If Bajrang were to reach the semis, the 27-year old could potentially face is Azerbaijan's opponent Haji Aliyev, who won the bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the 57 kg category. Another opponent he could potentially face in the semis is Kazakhstan's Daulet Niyazkebov, who is a former silver medalist in the world championships.

How to watch Olympics Wrestling Events live in India?

Indian fans wondering how to watch Bajrang Punia vs Ernazar Akmataliev live in India can tune into the Sony Sports network, which has the official broadcasting rights for the Tokyo Olympics 2020 in India. The Bajrang Punia vs Ernazar Akmataliev match will be telecasted live on Sony TEN 2 SD/HD and Sony SIX SD/HD. Meanwhile, fans can also watch Olympic wrestling events in regional languages on Sony TEN 3 SD/HD and Sony TEN 4 SD/HD. Lastly, Bajrang Punia's match can also be watched using the live stream on the SonyLIV app.