Vinesh Phogat, Anshu Malik and Reetika Hooda on Saturday secured three 2024 Paris Olympics quota in wrestling after winning their respective semi-final bouts at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Two quotas per weight category were up for grabs in Bishkek. All three Indian wrestlers were in imperious form and added to the Olympics quota Antim Panghal had won in the 53kg event last year.
In the women’s 50kg category, Phogat started her campaign with a victory via technical superiority and victory by fall in the first two rounds to make it to the semi-finals.
Phogat wrapped up the quota in style by securing another victory via technical superiority in the semi-finals as she beat Kazakhstan’s Laura Ganikyzy 10-0.
Malik had a similar dominant outing as she won both her matches via technical superiority to secure an Olympics quota in the women’s 57kg event.
Hooda began her campaign in the women’s 76kg event with two technical superiority wins in the first two round. However, she had a tough match in the quarter-finals against China’s Juan Wang but eventually won the bout 9-6.
The U23 World Champion clinched the Olympic quota in the next match with a clinical 7-0 win over Chinese Taipei’s Chang Hui Tz.
India could have secured four quotas on Saturday. However, Mansi lost 6-0 in the quota match to North Korea’s Asian Games champion Hyon Gyong Mun.
