Naveen won his second title of the year as he clinched the gold in the men's 74kg category at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Saturday. Naveen defeated Muhammad Tahir by a 9-0 scoreline (VPO) to extend India's ever-expanding medal tally at the 2022 CWG.
This is India's sixth wrestling gold and twelfth gold overall of CWG 2022.
The Indian, all of 19, led 2-0 in the opening period and upped the ante in the second period. Tahir was put on the passivity clock early on as Naveen completed a takedown to pick up three points - two for the takedown and one on passivity. He went for the kill to score two more takedowns and earned a comprehensive 9-0 win.
Naveen, from Dharmpal in Sonepat, has enjoyed a stellar run of form here. He began his campaign with a win over Nigeria's Ogbonna Emmanuel John and then blanked Singapore's Hong Yeow Lou to clinch the win via technical superiority.
He took on England's Charlie James Bowling in the semifinal and offered the Englishman no room to settle in as he inflicted a couple of early takedowns to wrap up the contest in the opening period.
Naveen has had a splendid 2022: he won gold at the U-23 Asian Championship, bronze at the Senior Asian Championship and finished fifth at the Bolat Turlykhanov Cup.
