Vinesh Phogat on Thursday reached the final of the Asian Wrestling Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan after narrowly edging out Japan’s Yuki Irie in the 50kg category after the scores were tied 4-4. This also confirms India’s third medal from the event after Greco-Roman wrestlers Harpreet Singh and Rajender Kumar clinched bronze in earlier.
Vinesh started the day by defeating Hyungjoo Kim of South Korea in the qualification round, and sealing a berth in the quarter-finals. The Indian was in top form and defeated Marina Zakshevskaya by a comprehensive 12-3 margin and entered the last four.
Vinesh prevailed in the semis after coming out on top in an engaging tactical battle.
The 23-year-old’s win was all the more impressive considering that Irie has been in top form going into the tournament. In the Japanese Championship in December last year, she defeated 2017 world champion Yui Susaki and 2016 Olympic champion Eri Tosaka.
The Asian Games bronze medal winner from India will now fight out with China’s Chun Lei for the gold medal. Another Indian woman wrestler, who is in medal contention is Sangeeta, who will fight for a bronze with Korea’s Jieun UM in the 59kg category. Sangeeta had lost her quarter-final 5-15 to Uzbekistan’s Nabira Esenbaeva. Lalita though had no luck going her way as she was outplayed 0-5 in the 55kg quarterfinal against Mongolia’s Davaachimeg Eekhembayar.
Kiran (76kg) and Divya Kakran (68kg) were also defeated in their respective last-eight matches. Kiran’s loss was to Kazakhstan’s Elmira Syzdykova while Kakran, India’s silver medallist from last year’s event, suffered a heavy 0-10 loss to Tumentsetseg Sharkhuu of Mongolia.
Kakran, however, will get a shot at bronze through repechage as Sharkhuu reached the final.