History repeated itself in the most heartbreaking way during the women's freestyle 68kg bout between India's Nisha Dahiya and Sol Gum Pak of DPR Korea. Similar to the 2016 Rio Olympics, where Vinesh Phogat's debut ended prematurely due to a knee injury against Sun Yanan, Nisha faced a similar fate on Monday, albeit with a different injury.
Nisha was in a commanding position, leading the quarterfinal bout 8-1, when disaster struck. She signalled for the bout to be stopped following an injury as a doctor rushed to the mat to attend to her. Initially, the injury appeared manageable as Nisha stood up and attempted to continue. However, it soon became evident that her movement was severely hampered, and she had to request another stoppage.
The situation grew increasingly dire as it became clear that Nisha had dislocated her finger and was in considerable pain. Barely able to compete, Nisha struggled to maintain her lead. Her opponent, Sol, capitalized on the situation, gradually reducing the deficit and eventually levelling the score. Another injury break all but dashed Nisha's hopes for a comeback.
Despite the severe injury, Nisha displayed immense courage, standing to wrestle once more and receiving tremendous applause from the fans in the arena. However, the DPR Korea wrestler seized the opportunity, quickly securing the decisive point to win the bout 10-8.
{{/usCountry}}Despite the severe injury, Nisha displayed immense courage, standing to wrestle once more and receiving tremendous applause from the fans in the arena. However, the DPR Korea wrestler seized the opportunity, quickly securing the decisive point to win the bout 10-8.
{{/usCountry}}Nisha's journey in the competition may not be over yet. If Sol reaches the final, Nisha will have the chance to compete in the repechage round, offering her a shot at a bronze medal. However, given the severity of her injury, it remains uncertain if she will be able to return to the mat.