File picture of wrestler Vinesh Phogat. Vinesh Phogat locked Paris Olympics quota in girls’s 50kg class by reaching the ultimate on the Asian Olympic qualifier.
| Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap
Making a powerful comeback to worldwide area after main a protracted protest towards former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, celebrated Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat locked Paris Olympics quota in girls’s 50kg class with a powerful present on the Asian Olympic Qualifier, in Bishkek on April 20.
Also punching their tickets to the Paris Olympics have been Anshu Malik (57kg) and U23 world champion Reetika (76kg), who additionally reached the ultimate of the event with strong performances.
India now have secured 4 quota locations for the Paris Games as Antim Panghal had earned a quota within the 53kg class together with her bronze medal successful present on the World Championships final yr.
It shall be attention-grabbing to see if WFI lets the quota winners signify India or maintain a ultimate choice trial to choose the nationwide wrestling staff.
In the Tokyo Games, India had fielded a powerful seven-wrestler staff 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 Games quota shall be on the World Qualifiers in Turkey from May 9.
The 29-year-old Vinesh has now secured her third straight Olympic quota, having featured in Rio Games (2016) and in Tokyo (2020) earlier.
Vinesh dished out a powerful efficiency, demolishing her opponents one after the other.
After dropping a number of months of coaching because of the extended protest towards Brij Bhushan and the continued authorized battle, it was a problem for Vinesh to secure a quota and he or she did that, making full use of a straightforward 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.
Once 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 troublesome to wriggle out of Vinesh’s sturdy maintain. The Indian employed intestine wrench transfer thrice and combined that with one ‘expose’ to complete the bout.
The subsequent bout lasted a mere 67 seconds. Cambodia’s Smanang Dit was a straightforward 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 tip of the primary interval. This was the primary time Vinesh was pushed to the second interval on this event.
Once Vinesh acquired maintain of Laura, she had no drawback in using consecutive intestine wrench strikes to complete the bout.
Vinesh was competing within the 50kg class after successful the choice trials.
The finalists at this competitors are being awarded quota locations for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The 2021 World Championship silver medallist Anshu had no drawback whereas placing it throughout Kyrgyzstan’s Kalmira Bilimbekova within the quarterfinal, successful by technical superiority.
Anshu, who additionally featured in Tokyo Games, continued her spectacular present, successful the semifinal towards Uzbekistan’s Laylokhov Soboirova by technical superiority. It was a 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 acquired an analogous win underneath her belt towards Mongolia’s Davaanasan Enkh Amar.
In the ultimate group bout towards China’s Juang Wang, Reetika raced to an 8-0 lead however the Chinese 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 towards Chinese Taipei’s Hui Tsz Chang.
Mansi Ahlawat (62kg) additionally made it to last-four as she wanted to win only one bout.
Up towards Kazakhstan’s Irina Kuznetsova, she emerged a 6-4 winner however was outgunned by North Korea’s Hyon Gyong Mun, who was wonderful in her defence, not giving any alternative to assault to the Indian.
The solely Indian wrestler who couldn’t attain semifinals was Nisha Dahiya (68kg).
