Elbow injury rules out Vinesh Phogat from Wrestling World Championships
Vinesh Phogat has been ruled out of the upcoming World Wrestling Championships as she suffered an elbow injury while training at the Lucknow SAI Centre on Friday. This would come as a huge setback after her previous gold medal triumphs at the 2018 Gold Coast CWG and Asian Games in Jakarta.
It’s been a brilliant year for Indian female wrestler - Vinesh Phogat that saw the Haryana-born youngster bag back-to-back gold medals in two major international competitions. The first one came in the 2018 Gold Coast CWG where she clinched gold in the 50 kg category by beating Canada's Jessica Macdonald, while the second one against Japan's Yuki Irie in Jakarta, which made her the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold at the Asian Games.Â
However, it was followed by a setback as she suffered an elbow injury while training at the at the Lucknow SAI Centre last week. The ligament damage occurred would rule her out of the upcoming Wrestling World Championships.
“Vinesh and Pooja Dhanda were wrestling and it was a takedown which Vinesh was trying to avoid but that hurt her elbow. MRIs revealed the broken ligaments,” chief coach of women’s team Kuldeep Malik said in an official statement.
WFIÂ would have to look for a replacement but interestingly the next best grappler in the 50kg category Ritu Phogat has now been selected to represent the country in the 53kg. The WFI is expected to name a replacement for Phogat on Monday. The Wrestling World Championship will be held in Budapest from October 20-28.
