Asian Wrestling Olympic Qualifiers: Vinesh, Anshu, Reetika clinch Paris quota after winning semi-final bouts

Vinesh Phogat, Anshu Malik and Reetika Hooda clinched Olympic quota in the women’s 50kg, 57kg and 76kg categories respectively during their semi-final bouts in the Asian Olympic Qualifiers on Saturday.

Commonwealth and Asian Games champion Vinesh outperformed Kazakhstan’s Laura Ganikyzy 10-0 in the women’s 50kg semi-finals of the Asian Qualifiers in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Anshu would clinch her quota shortly after Vinesh on Saturday, defeating Uzbekistan’s Laylokhon Sobirova 11-0.

U23 world champion Reetika would then follow suit in the 76kg category, defeating Chinese Taipei’s Hui Tsz Chang 7-0, making it the first time India has won an Olympic quota in that category.

Antim Panghal was the first Indian wrestler to clinch Olympic quota, doing so with a bronze in the 53k category in the World Championships in Belgrade in September last year.

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India could have collected a fourth Olympic quota in wrestling on Saturday. Mansi Ahlawat, however, missed out on that front after losing her 62kg semi-final 0-6.

After losing several months of training due to the prolonged protest against former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and the ongoing legal battle, it was a challenge for Vinesh to secure a quota and she did that, making full use of an easy draw.

Vinesh began with a victory over Korea’s Miran Cheon via technical superiority in the first round. Her next bout against Smanang Dit of Cambodia lasted for just over a minute as Vinesh pinned her to qualify for the semi-finals.

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The celebrated Indian faced some resistance from 19-year-old Kazakh wrestler Laura Ganikyzy in the semifinals but she used all her experience to foil the attacks employed by her younger rival.

Twice Laura went for left-leg attacks but Vinesh scored on counter and led 4-0 by the end of the first period. This was the first time Vinesh was pushed to the second period in this tournament.

Once Vinesh got hold of Laura, she had no problem in employing consecutive gut wrench moves to finish the bout.

She now faces Aktenge Keunimjaeva of Uzbekistan, who defeated Chinese Taipei‘s Meng Hsuan Hsieh 4-2, in the 50kg final.

Yesss!! Quota for ⁦@Phogat_Vinesh⁩ Was 59 kgs post her ACL surgery. To come back, post surgery rehab, cutting to 50kgs. What fire, hunger. Her support Team ⁦@waynelombard⁩, physio Ashwini, Nutritionist TJ, coach Woller Akos, Dr. Pardiwala-MASSIVE ⁦@OGQ_India⁩ pic.twitter.com/AkXwwP17Tz

— Viren Rasquinha (@virenrasquinha) April 20, 2024

It will be interesting to see if WFI lets the quota winners represent India or hold a final selection trial to pick the national wrestling team.

In the Tokyo Games, India had fielded a strong seven-wrestler team that had four women – Seema Bisla (50kg), Vinesh (53kg), Anshu (57kg) and Sonam Malik (62kg).

No male wrestler has yet earned a quota. The last chance to win the Paris Games quota will be at the World Qualifiers in Turkey from May 9.

Vinesh, who had won the selection trials in March, is competing in the 50kg category and not the 53kg category. Had she missed out on earning an Olympic quota in the 50kg category, Vinesh could still have kept her Olympic hopes alive in the 53kg category, in which Antim had already sealed a quota. Antim, however, would then be requested to fight Vinesh in a final trial that would prove her worth in the 53kg category.

Vinesh’s victory in the 50kg semis however, has ensured both grapplers represent the country in the French capital later this year.

The only Indian wrestler who could not reach semi-finals in Bishkek, and missed out on an Olympic quota as a result, was Nisha Dahiya (68kg).

With PTI inputs