World Wrestling Championships 2022 | Indian wrestlers continue to disappoint, Vinesh in repechage round
A file image of Vinesh Phogat.
|(UWW)
Vinesh Phogat, a three-time Commonwealth Games winner, advanced to the repechage round of the women's 53 kg match on Tuesday at the World Wrestling Championships 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia. Khulan Batkhuyag of Mongolia, who won the silver medal at the 2022 Asian Championships, defeated Vinesh 7-0.
At the end of the first round, the Indian wrestler was down 3-0 against Batkhuyag, and he gave up another four points in the waning seconds to lose the match. Phogat had a good chance of earning the bronze when Khulan Batkhuyag quickly advanced to the final by winning her subsequent bouts. The silver medalist at the 2018 Asian Games, Zhuldyz Eshimova of Kazakhstan, will now face Vinesh Phogat in the repechage on Wednesday.
The four other Indians who were competing that day, however, were unsuccessful in moving on Sushma Shokeen, who took home bronze at the Asian Championships in April, fell to Mariana Dragutan of Moldova in the women's 55kg repechage round. On Monday, Sushma Shokeen upset Cuba's Yaynelis Sanz Verdecia, the Pan-American champion, before falling to Oleksandra Khomenets, the bronze medalist from the previous competition, after briefly taking the lead.
At the completion of round one of the repechage, Sushma Shokeen held the upper hand once more and was 8-2 ahead of Mariana Dragutan. To secure the victory, Dragutan, the current Under-23 European champion, forced a fall on the Indian in round two. The sole Indian to win on Tuesday was Neelam, who was fighting in the 50kg division. Indian Under-23 Asian silver medalist Szimonetta Timea Szeker was defeated 4-2 to go to the main draw.
Later, due to Romania's Emilia Alina Vuc, a two-time silver medalist at the world championships, Neelam was defeated 10-0. Shefali (65 kg) was defeated 10-0 by French Koumba Selene Fanta Larroque, a two-time world championship medalist, in the qualifications because to her better technical ability.
Priyanka, who took home silver at the under-20 world championships last month, lost to Ecuador's Genesis Rosangela Reasco Valdezin in the 76 kg qualifying round due to her opponent's technical advantage.
Along with Vinesh Phogat, other competitors on Wednesday are Sarita Mor (57 kg), Mansi Ahlawat (59 kg), Nisha Dahiya (68 kg), and Reetika (72 kg), who won bronze in the last competition. India is still without a medal at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships.
