Navjot Kaur clinches gold, Sakshi wins bronze

The Indian wrestlers excelled at the Asian Wrestling Championship by winning gold and bronze medals in different weight categories.

Navjot Kaur defeated Imai Miyu of Japan in the final to win the 65kg title.

Navjot Kaur became the first Indian woman to claim a gold medal in the Asian wrestling championships when she defeated Imai Miyu of Japan in the final to win the 65kg title at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Friday.

In a competition involving only six competitors, Navjot, who had bagged Asian bronze (2011) and silver (2013) medals and a Commonwealth Games bronze medal (2014), lost to Imai 4-4 and won against Uzbekistan’s Baltaniyazova Bakhtigul 10-0 in her group to make it to the semifinal.

 

"I am delighted on being the first Indian woman to become an Asian champion. To some extent it has compensated for the years I lost due to injuries. Everybody in the Indian camp is so happy for me," Navjot told Sportstar from Bishkek.

Twenty-eight-year-old Navjot beat Mongolian Enkhbayar Tsevegmed 2-1 in the last four and got the better of Mai 9-1 in the final to corner the yellow metal.

Navjot Kaur wins India's first-ever Asian C'Ships gold in women's wrestling (65 kg). #imnotcryingyourecrying#bishkek2018pic.twitter.com/gXyZGics4T

— World Wrestling (@wrestling) March 2, 2018

Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik had to settle for a bronze medal after losing 6-6 to eventual silver medallist Xiaojuan Luo of China in a 62kg first round bout.

In the repechage rounds, Sakshi defeated Jiae Choi of Korea 11-0 and Ayaulym Kassymova of Kazakhstan 10-7 to bag the bronze.