Sarita, Sushma take bronze at Asian Championship
LUCKNOW : Women’s wrestling coach Jitendra Yadav’s belief in new generation of players seems to have given new hopes to Indian wrestling set up. On Thursday, first timer Sushma Shokeen along with her senior and defending champion Sarita Mor made India proud, winning a bronze medal each in different weight categories at the ongoing Asian Wrestling Championship at Ulaanbataar (Mongolia).
Competing in the five-wrestler 59kg category, Sarita, the 2021 World Championship bronze medallist, came from behind to win a bronze medal, whereas Sushma finished third in the 55kg category, which also featured only five wrestlers.
Sarita showed great temperament as she began with two defeats — against Mongolia’s Shoovdor Baatarjav (1-2) and Japan’s Sara Natami (VSU) — but made a comeback by winning her last two bouts. She first beat Uzbekistan’s Dilfuza Aimbetova by technical superiority and then followed that up with a 5-2 win over Diana Kayumova of Kazakhstan.
“I could have won that bout against Mongolian girl. But since she was from home team, she got some favour from the referees. She was fleeing the mat but was not given any caution, she benefitted from that,” Sarita was quoted as saying after her match.
“That Japan wrestler was also beatable. It was just not my day. I could not perform the way I wanted to. May be because of weather. It is high-altitude city, I did not feel active on the mat. Plus, hardly there was any gap between my bouts,” she added.
Making her debut in an international event, Sushma lost by technical superiority to Japan’s Umi Imai, but bounced back with a 5-0 win over Kazakhstan’s Altyn Shagayeva in the next round.
Then she enjoyed a stupendous bout against Uzbekistan’s Sarbinaz Jienbaeva, wining by fall. However, Sushma ended with a heavy defeat against local girl Otgonjargal Ganbaatar, to whom she lost by technical superiority. The two wins were enough for her to secure a bronze.
Though the three new faces Manisha (50 kg), Sonika Hooda (68 kg) and Sudesh (76 kg) couldn’t make a podium finish, they lived up to the expectations of coach Yadav. Manisha was also in reckoning for a bronze in the 50kg but lost the medal match by fall to Uzbekistan’s Jasmina Immaeva, whereas Sonika Hooda (68kg) and Sudesh Kumari (76kg) could not reach the medal round.
“I am very much satisfied with the performances of new faces, including Sushma as they put
HE, HOWEVER, SAID THAT THE EXPOSURE TO THE NEW WRESTLERS WOULD BE PRODUCING GOOD RESULTS IN FUTURE
their foot forward without feelings under pressure,” Yadav said on Thursday. “Many may not be happy with just two bronzes in five matches on Thursday, but I know that how good these five are for future,” said Yadav.
He, however, said that the exposure to the new wrestlers would be producing good results in future. “All these wrestlers made it to the Indian team after winning in the trials and am sure that before coming back home, we will have some more medals in our pocket,” he added.