Wrestling: Nisha Dahiya wins Paris Olympics quota in 68kg

Nisha, a world U-23 bronze medallist, sealed the quota by beating Alexandra Anghel of Romania 8-4 in the semi-finals

Nisha Dahiya (68kg) won a Paris 2024 berth at the World Olympic Qualifiers in Istanbul on Friday. The 24-year-old Indian, a world U-23 bronze medallist, sealed the quota by beating Alexandra Anghel of Romania 8-4 in the semi-finals.

It is India's fifth Paris Olympics quota in women's wrestling – the most the country has ever won.

It is India's fifth Paris Olympics quota in women's wrestling – the most the country has ever won. Vinesh Phogat (50kg), Antim Panghal (53kg), Anshu Malik (57kg) and Reetika Hooda (76kg) are the other wrestlers to win quotas. On Saturday, India's freestyle wrestlers will look to open their account. The world qualifiers are the last chance to win Paris quotas.

Nisha, also an Asian Championships medallist, came through a tough quarterfinal to upset top seed Adela Hanzlickova of Czech Republic 7-4. It was not an ideal start for Nisha as she came close to be pinned by Hanzlickova, a multiple-time European championships medallist. Nisha managed to survive and bounced back. Training 0-3, she started to score through counters to take a 6-3 lead. Hanzlickova added one more point but Nisha kept her at bay and romped home.

In the semi-final against Anghel, Nisha was cruising with a 8-0 lead before the Romanian came back to narrow the deficit to 8-4. Nisha, however, sailed through. Earlier she beat Belarusian Alina Shauchuk 3-0 in her opening bout.

However, in 62kg Mansi (62kg) lost by fall to eighth-ranked Belarusian Veranika Ivanova. It was the end of road for her.

In Greco-roman, Sunil Kumar (87kg) lost in the repechage round to Alex Kessidis of Sweden 9-4.