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Wrestling Worlds: Vinesh gets a bronze high
She became the first Indian female wrestler to win two medals at the event.
Grappling with injuries and self-doubt, Vinesh Phogat has endured a difficult 12 months. After her shocking loss at the Tokyo Olympics, there were even thoughts about retirement that clouded her mind and the eventual fallout with the federation left her emotionally drained. But the fighter that she is, Vinesh decided to give herself another chance at the world stage. On Wednesday, she got the rewards of her perseverance -- winning her second bronze medal at the wrestling world championships.
After losing to Khulan Batkhuyag of Mongolia in her first bout on Tuesday, Vinesh came back with vengeance in the repechage round of the 53kg category. Competing against Zhuldyz Eshimova of Kazakhstan – a multiple times Asian Championships medallist – Vinesh was at her attacking best and pinning her opponent in the first period. Vinesh brought Eshimova down with a front head snap and swirled around her quickly to take control. Eshimova tried to defend but Vinesh locked her up and turned her sideways for the pin.
Vinesh got a walkover in her next match against Leyla Gurbanova of Ajerbaijain who was injured in her semi-final bout on Tuesday.
In the bronze medal bout, it was Vinesh's defence that came to the fore initially. Emma Jonna Malmgren of Sweden kept launching quick attacks but she was first denied by Vinesh's defence and then forced on the back foot by the counter-attacks as the experienced Indian eased to a comfortable 8-0 win.
Malmgren, a junior world champion, was quick to pounce on Vinesh’s legs at the start but the Indian countered for two points. She seemed to have hurt her ankle in the process. The entire bout played out in the same fashion. Malmgren -- quick and attack-minded -- swooping low to take hold of Vinesh’s legs and the latter using all her experience and skill to turn the move in her favour, eventually making it a lopsided contest.
It was Vinesh’s second international medal this season, having won her third successive Commonwealth Games gold in Birmingham last month. The competition in CWG was not of highest quality and if there was any flicker of doubt about whether Vinesh was looking for to continue in the path of Paris Olympics, she erased that in Belgrade. She became the only Indian woman wrestler to win two world championships medal, having won her first in 2019. The 53kg gold was won by USA's Dominique Olivia Parrish who defeated Khulan Batkhuyag.
Nisha in bronze medal match
Vinesh’s bronze was also India’s first in the Worlds this year, coming on the fifth day of the competition. World U23 bronze medallist Nisha Dahiya will also have a chance to win the bronze medal in the 68kg weight class.
She cruised through the qualification round with a technical superiority win against Danute Domikaityte of Lithunia 11-0. In her next three bouts, a resilient Nisha turned around dangerous positions to her advantage. She defeated Adela Hanzlickova of Czech Republic 13-8. Nisha opened with a two-point takedown before Hanzlickova swiftly ducked under and slammed her down for four points, almost getting a pin. Nisha, however, held on and countered to score two. With the momentum on her side, Nisha pounced on Hanzlickova’s leg for another takedown, and did well to emerge out of the ensuing tangle with a 8-7 lead. A confident Nisha added four more points to seal the result.
In the quarters against Sofia Hristova Georgieva of Bulgaria, Nisha was forced into action by the activity clock. In one swift action, she grabbed her opponents leg and raced to a 4-0 lead. When Sofia got hold of her leg, Nisha once again showed good positional control and countered with a four-point throw. With a lead of 9-0 in the first period, Nisha was quick to add more points and finish off the contest early in the second period.
The semi-final against Japanese Ami Ishii was a thrilling bout, filled with attacks and counter-attacks. Nisha got the first two points after brilliantly countering Ishii's low shot on her legs. The Japanese drew level with a takedown to end the first period. Nisha had another counter for a 4-3 lead but Ishii was quick to keep the pressure with her attacks and scored three points to edge past Nisha.
