Making a robust comeback to worldwide area after main a protracted protest in opposition to former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, celebrated Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat locked Paris Olympics quota in girls’s 50kg class with a robust present on the Asian Olympic Qualifier in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Saturday. Additionally punching their tickets to Paris Olympics had been Anshu Malik (57kg) and U23 world champion Reetika (76kg), who additionally reached the ultimate of the event with stable performances.
India now have secured 4 quota locations for the Paris Video games as Antim Panghal had earned a quota within the 53kg class together with her bronze medal profitable present on the World Championships final yr.
Will probably be attention-grabbing to see if WFI lets the quota winners to characterize India or maintain a ultimate choice trial to choose the nationwide wrestling crew.
Within the Tokyo Video games, India had fielded a robust seven-wrestler crew that had 4 girls — Seema Bisla (50kg), Vinesh (53kg), Anshu (57kg) and Sonam Malik (62kg).
No male wrestler has but earned a quota. The final likelihood to win the Paris Video games quota will likely be on the World Qualifiers in Turkey from Might 9.
The 29-year-old Vinesh has now secured her third straight Olympic quota, having featured in Rio Video games (2016) and in Tokyo (2020) earlier.
Vinesh dished out a robust efficiency, demolishing her opponents one after the other.
After dropping a number of months of coaching as a result of extended protest in opposition to Brij Bhushan and the continuing authorized battle, it was a problem for Vinesh to safe a quota and he or she did that, making full use of a simple draw.
As is her wont, Vinesh regarded for that one alternative to subdue Miran Cheon in her opening bout and grabbed it after measuring her Korean rival for about 30 seconds.
As soon as she grabbed Cheon and pushed her down for a take down, the bout led to a jiffy, in a single minute and 39 seconds.
It was tough to wriggle out of Vinesh’s sturdy maintain. The Indian employed intestine wrench transfer thrice and blended that with one ‘expose’ to complete the bout.
The following bout lasted a mere 67 seconds. Cambodia’s Smanang Dit was a simple prey. Vinesh pinned her very quickly to maneuver to the ladies’s 50kg semifinal.
The celebrated Indian confronted some resistance from 19-year-old Kazakh wrestler Laura Ganikyzy within the semifinals however she used all her expertise to foil the assaults employed by her youthful rival.
Twice Laura went for left-leg assaults however Vinesh scored on counter and led 4-0 by the top of the primary interval. This was the primary time Vinesh was pushed to the second interval on this event.
As soon as Vinesh received maintain of Laura, she had no downside in using consecutive intestine wrench strikes to complete the bout.
Vinesh was competing within the 50kg class after profitable the choice trials.
The finalists at this competitors are being awarded quota locations for the 2024 Summer season Olympics.
The 2021 World Championship silver medallist Anshu had no downside whereas placing it throughout Kyrgyzstan’s Kalmira Bilimbekova within the quarterfinal, profitable by technical superiority.
Anshu, who additionally featured in Tokyo Video games, continued her spectacular present, profitable the semifinal in opposition to Uzbekistan’s Laylokhov Soboirova by technical superiority. It was pacy bout dictated by the Indian.
The U23 world champion Reetika didn’t have to interrupt a lot sweat in outclassing Eunju Hwang. She gained the primary spherical by technical superiority because the Korean had no reply to Reetika’s class and received an identical win below her belt in opposition to Mongolia’s Davaanasan Enkh Amar.
Within the ultimate group bout in opposition to China’s Juang Wang, Reetika raced to an 8-0 lead however the Chinese language fought again and logged six straight factors.
She effected one other transfer on the dying moments however a lot to the reduction of the Indian camp, that time was not awarded as a result of it got here on the finish of the stipulated time.
In her semifinal, Reetikja recorded a snug 7-0 win in opposition to Chinese language Taipei’s Hui Tsz Chang.
Mansi Ahlawat (62kg) additionally made it to last-four as she wanted to win only one bout.
Up in opposition to Kazakhstan’s Irina Kuznetsova, she emerged a 6-4 winner however was outgunned by North Korea’s Hyon Gyong Mun, who was glorious in her defence, not giving any alternative to assault to the Indian.
The one Indian wrestler who couldn’t attain semifinals was Nisha Dahiya (68kg).
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
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