PHOGAT LEADS INDIA’S GOLDEN CHARGE AT ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

NEW DELHI: World No.1 Vinesh Phogat made the most of a depleted field in women’s 53kg to win her first gold of the Asian Wrestling Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Friday. A medal prospect for the Tokyo Games, this was Phogat’s third straight title since returning to international competition after the pandemic forced break.

The withdrawal of Japan’s Mayu Mukaida, who has beaten the Indian at the World Championships and last edition’s Asian Championships, denied Phogat strong competition. Also missing was World Championships’ bronze medallist Pang Qianyu of China. Phogat won her first two bouts by technical superiority against Mongolian Otgonjargal Ganbaatar (11-0) and Chinese Taipei’s Meng Hsuan Hsieh (12-0). She then downed Hsieh in the final. An Asian Games champion, Phogat won three silver and four bronze medals in this competition before this. Last month Phogat won gold at the Outstanding Ukrainian Wrestlers and Coaches Memorial tournament in Kiev and the title at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series in Rome.

A week after sealing an Olympic quota in 68kg, Anshu Malik, 19, demolished Uzbek Sevara Eshmuratova 11-0 and Nazira Marsbek of Kyrgyzstan 10-0. She beat Mongolian Altantsetseg Battsetseg 9-1 in the semis. In the final, Battsetseg threw a strong challenge but Malik showed good composure to win 3-0.

Having lost her place in the 68kg Olympic category to Nisha Dahiya, Divya Kakran came back strongly to claim the 72kg category gold. Kakran clinched India’s fourth gold, winning against Mongolian Tsevegmed Enkhbayar, Korean Sujin Park and holder Kazakh Zhamila Bakbergenova. It was her second gold at the Asian meet, having won in 68kg last year here.

Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik, competing in the non-Olympic 65kg category, lost to Mongolia’s Zorigt Bolortungalag by fall in the final.