Aditya Dhopaokar is ejected from the Kurash pre-quarterfinals at the 2023 Asian Games

Aditya Dhopaokar of India’s men’s 81kg kurash career ended in less than two minutes when S Hassan Baiqara Rasooli of Afghanistan eliminated him in the pre-quarterfinals at the Asian Games on Sunday.

The Afghan outclassed Dhopaokar, defeating the 21-year-old Indian 0-10 by “khalol,” a phrase used in Kurash indicating a clear victory.

The Afghan’s takedown was so forceful that Dhopaokar’s shoulder blades touched as he fell.

After further analysis, the adjudicator gave the Afghan competitor a “khalol,” bringing the match to a close in just under two minutes.

The arbitrator states that the “appraisal in case the throw on the back is done by a beautiful and accurate motion” will take place.

Rasooli suffered a little throw from Dhopaokar to start the four-minute match on a good note, earning him a “chala” (one point). The Indian’s one-point advantage, however, was eliminated when Rasooli successfully executed the “khalol,” and the Afghan went on to face the No. 2 seed from Kuwait, Alali Eisa, in the quarterfinals.

Jyoti Tokas (women’s 87kg) and Yash Chauhan (men’s 90kg), who will compete in their respective quarterfinal bouts on Monday, will now carry India’s campaign in kurash.

They need one more victory to guarantee at least a medal in the age-old sport of wrestling.

In the women’s 52kg quarterfinals on Saturday, India’s Pincky Balhara, a silver medalist in Jakarta in 2018, was eliminated.

In the round of 32, Suchika Tariyal (women’s 52 kg) and Keshav (men’s 66 kg) were eliminated.