Indian wrestler Anshu Malik bagged the country’s first medal at the Individual World Cup in Belgrade, Serbia, as she finished second in the women’s 57kg category.
The 19-year-old lost in the final of the women’s 57kg category against Moldova’s Anastasia Nichita.
Nichita earned her country’s first gold with a 5-1 victory over world No 7 Anshu. The Moldovan wrestler led 1-0 at the halfway point and that forced Anshu to come out attacking in the second period. But that resulted in a strong counterattack from Nichita, ranked 10th in the world, as she scored a two-point exposure with a throw before adding a takedown midway through the final period.
Anshu tried hard to force her way back into the bout, trying to push Nichita out of bounds before trying a move on her ankles too, but nothing paid off for the Indian youngster.
Individual World Cup Day 5
— wrestlingtv 🇮🇳 (@wrestlingtvIND) December 17, 2020
First Medal for India
Anshu Malik won a silver medal in the 57kg category
Catch Day 6 Live Action: https://t.co/mo2GnwIGyH#कुश्ती #kushti #WrestlingTV #wrestling #wrestlingtvindia #wrestlinglive #wrestling2020 #Dangalkadum💪 pic.twitter.com/JahMWx0zrk
The silver medal, however, meant that Anshu has won a medal at each of the three international tournaments she’s competed in, according to ESPN India. The Asian Championships bronze medallist has built a reputation as one of India’s most promising young wrestlers and she showed that again with a run to the final after three impressive wins earlier on in this tournament.
Anshu Malik’s run at the World Cup:
Final: Anastasia NICHITA (MDA) df. Anshu ANSHU (IND), 5 - 1
SF: Anshu ANSHU (IND) df. Veronika CHUMIKOVA (RUS), 7 - 4 (win by fall)
QF: Anshu ANSHU (IND) df. Laura MERTENS (GER), 3 - 1
Qual: Anshu ANSHU (IND) df. Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE), 4 - 2
57kg #WrestleBelgrade WW Medal Match Results:
— United World Wrestling (@wrestling) December 16, 2020
🥇 Anastasia NICHITA 🇲🇩 df. Anshu ANSHU 🇮🇳, 5-1
🥉Mehlika OZTURK 🇹🇷 df. Arianna CARIERI 🇮🇹, via fall
🥉Veronika CHUMIKOVA 🇷🇺 df. Alyona KOLESNIK 🇦🇿, 2-2
The 57kg is an Olympic category where India have not earned a quota for the Tokyo Olympics yet and this result will come as a shot in the arm for the youngster.
You can watch Anshu’s bouts here:
With the pandemic situation not allowing trials, the WFI let all the participants at the 2020 Asian Championship in New Delhi to compete in Belgrade, PTI had reported.