After an inspiring show from Greco Roman wrestlers, where Sunil Kumar ended India’s 27 year wait for an international Greco Roman title, hosts will be looking for the domination to further escalate as Vinesh Phogat spearheads Indian girls charge with the start of the Asian Wrestling Championships women’s competition on Thursday.
Vinesh, Rio de Janeiro Olympics medallist Sakshi Malik, Sonam Malik and Anshu are all strong contenders and certain hopes for a medal in their respective categories.
The women’s competition draws are out and battle lines are drawn
Fresh from a Rome Ranking series gold, Vinesh will be looking for revenge as she starts her campaign against Mayu Mukaida of Japan from the quarter-final round. The Japanese girls has been Vinesh’s nemesis, eliminating the Indian ace in the Xi’an Asian Championships and Nur-Sultan World Championships last year. Vinesh, contesting in the 53 kg category, is India’s biggest hope for a gold in women’s competition.
Interestingly, Vinesh gets an opening round line-up against Mayu in their third consecutive meeting.
Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik, although participating in the 65kg non-Olympic category, is expected to show her might after suffering an ignominious defeat at the hands of youngster Sonam Malik in the Wrestling Federation of India selection trials last month. She has formidable opponents in Naomi Ruike of Japan and Ohyoung Ha to deal with. The 2019 Asian Games silver medallist and World Cup champion last year, Ruike poses a big threat for Sakshi, who is well aware that any adverse result here might end her Tokyo 2020 dreams conclusively.
Anshu Malik also holds some promise. The youngster won gold in the Asian Championships last year as a junior and thereafter bagged silver on her senior national team debut performance at the Rome Ranking series. Anshu will start against Nuraida Anarkulova of Kazakhstan. Risako Kawai of Japan, an Olympics and three-time world champion, is the biggest threat to the youngster’s hopes.
Known for her stunning win against Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik in the trials, Sonam Malik (62kg) is another big Indian hope even though she did not fare well in the Rome Ranking series, dropping out in the opening round. She will be starting the competition against 2018 Asian Championships bronze medallist Hanbit Lee of South Korea.
India’s medal hopeful Divya Kakran will start her campaign against formidable rivals. The 2019 Asian Championships bronze medallist will meet Albina Kairgeldinova of Kazakhstan in the opening round of 68kg category. Albina was the 2017 cadet Asian Championships finalist. The Indian will also meet 2018 Junior World silver medallist Dalgermaa Enkhsaikhan of Mongolia and Azoda Esbergenova of Uzbekistan in the second and third round.
Gursharan Kaur, Nirmala Devi, Pinki, Sarita Mor and Kiran Bishnoi are the other wrestlers of the team who will be fighting in the 72kg, 68kg, 50kg, 55kg, 59kg and 76 kg category respectively.
