Indian women wrestlers, Vinesh Phogat (50kg), Anshu Malik (57kg) and Reetika (76kg), earned three quota places in the Asian Olympic Games qualifier in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Saturday.
Double World championships bronze medallist Vinesh, who dropped down from 53kg to 50kg, made the most of a dream draw to give a series of dominating performances and qualify for her third Olympics.
Vinesh defeated South Korea’s Miran Cheon 10-0, pinned Cambodia’s Samnang Dit before recording a 10-0 victory over up-and-coming Kazakh Laura Ganikyzy in the semifinals.
In the last-four, the experienced Vinesh defended well before launching swift counterattacks and taking a 4-0 lead at the break. Vinesh thanked God with folded hands after winning with 1:43 minutes left.
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Anshu, a Worlds silver medallist, asserted her class to outwit Kyrgyzstan’s Kalmira Bilimbek Kyzy 12-1 and steamrollered Asian Games bronze medallist Laylokhon Sobirova 11-0 in the first period of the semifinal bout to make it to her second Olympics.
World under-23 champion Reetika beat South Korea’s Eunju Hwang 10-0, Mongolia’s Worlds silver medallist Enkh Amar 11-0 and China’s Asian Games bronze medallist Juan Wang 9-6 in the group stage. The young Indian got past Chinese Taipei’s Hui Tsz Chang 7-0 in the last-four stage to get an Olympic berth.
Two other Indians, Mansi Ahlawat (62kg) and Nisha Dahiya (68kg), fell short. Mansi lost to North Korea’s Hyon Gyong Mun 6-0 in the semifinals, while Nisha could not make it to the last four.
So far, four Indian women, including Antim Panghal (53kg), have bagged quota places.
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