Maharathis win opener in style
Mumbai Maharathis outclassed Delhi Sultans 5- 2 on the opening night of the Pro Wrestling League Season Three at the Siri Fort Sports Complex in the capital on Tuesday.
Rio Olympic Games bronze medallist Sakshi Malik played her role as captain of the Maharathis with elan, winning the crucial fourth point to put the contest beyond the Sultans’ reach. She trounced her compatriot Monia 18- 2 in what proved to be walk in the park.
The teams were locked 2- 2 but Satender Malik edged out Hitender 7- 6 to put the Maharathis ahead.
In the next bout, Sakshi jumped into a 10- 2 lead in the first period of the 62 kg bout and wrapped it up 18- 2 much to the delight of her fans.
Delhi Sultans were on the back foot at the start, with their captain and star player Sushil Kumar being removed from the equation. Sakshi promptly blocked him after winning the toss.
In return, Sushil opted to block Odunaya of Nigeria, a formidable force in the 57 kg category.
That however didn’t deter Sushil’s team mate Sandeep Tomar, who began on a winning note to pick up the first point. The 2017 Asian Indoor Games bronze medallist got the better of Andrey Yatsenko 14- 9 in the 57 kg men’s freestyle clash.
Mumbai asserted themselves in the second match with Seema beating Maroi Mezien of Tunisia in the 50 kg women’s competition.
The Sultans regained the lead, with Azerbaijan’s Aslan Albvorov notching up a comprehensive 15- 0 win over Satyawart Kadian in the 92 kg class. The 2017 world championship bronze medallist was a class above the Indian who struggled throughout.
France’s Cynthia Vescan won the next one for Mumbai, beating Egypt’s Samaramer Hamza in the 76 kg men’s bout by a 12- 1 margin.