Referee error cost me gold: Amit

World Championship silver medallist wrestler Amit Kumar rued that a bad umpiring decision at the fag end of his bout cost him a deserving gold medal in the final of the 55kg category against Iran’s Hassan Farman Rahimi.

Asian Champion Amit Kumar had to settle for a silver after going down 1-2 against Rahimi on the opening day of World Wrestling Championships at the Papp Laszlo Arena in Budapest, Hungary.

Talking to PTI over phone from Budapest, the 19-year-old Asian champion said he was “disappointed” to have narrowly missed the opportunity to equal the record of two-time Olympic medallist and countrymate Sushil Kumar — the only Indian to have won a gold in the World Championships in the 2010 Moscow edition.

“It was a tough final against Rahimi and we both fought tooth and nail. The referee gave me a warning for engaging in defensive and shadow wrestling. In reality, it was the other way round as the Iranian was getting back on my moves. He was more defensive and the point should have come my way,” Amit lamented.

“In the first round, I took the first point and twice came close to pinning him down in the second round. We were tied at 1-1 in the first round. In the next round, the referee awarded him the crucial point.

“Referee was warning me for not attacking Rahimi but the official should have warned the Iranian for not responding to my moves. In the final moments of my bout (second three-minute round), he awarded him a point which left me disappointed. It was clear that I was the one who was more attacking throught the bout,” he added.

The 2012 Asian Championship bronze medallist further added that referee’s warning led to distraction which cost him the final bout.