World Wrestling Championships | Vinesh Phogat, Seema enter repechage
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After an early temporary exit from the World Wrestling Championships after losing to defending champion Mayu Mukaida, Vinesh Phogat entered the repechage round after the Japanese advanced to the final. Seema also took a similar route after Azerbaijan’s Mariya Stanik reached the final.
As was widely expected, the Asiad gold medalist had a stellar first-round bout against Olympic bronze medallist Sofia Mattsson, where Phogat won 13-0 after storming to an early 4-0 lead. She ended the clash by pushing Sofia out of the mat. However, her second round clash against the defending champion was several notches higher for someone who had just shifted from 50 to 53 kgs, and Phogat went on to lose 7-0 in that round.Â
Her only chance at some salvation was if Mukaida managed to reach the final, and that's what happened. Phogat would now be facing USA's Sarah Hildebrandt to seal an Olympic quota before she would come across Greece's Maria Prevolaraki for the bronze medal clash.
India had Seema competing in the 50kg category and after she lost to Stanik, she had to wait and pray for similar happenings. Now that Stanik has reached the final, Seema would need to win her next two clashes to earn an Olympic quota before she would be up against China's Sun Yanan to win the bronze medal.
India also had some elimination with Komal Gole losing 1-4 to Turkey's Beste Altug in the qualification round of the women's 72kg category, while Lalita lost 10-3 to Mongolia's Bolortuya Bat Ochir in the second round of the 55kg.
The men's events saw Naveen losing his Greco-Roman 130kg repechage to Estonia's Heiki Nabi, which also put an end to India’s contention in the Greco-Roman category. Despite having 10 wrestlers, none made it to the quarterfinals.
