Wrestling Worlds: Tears of joy for Anshu Malik
Oslo (Norway), October 6
Anshu Malik created history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the World Championship final when she outclassed junior European champion Solomiia Vynnyk even as Sarita Mor lost her semifinal and will fight for a bronze.
The 20-year-old Anshu, the reigning Asian Championship gold medallist, controlled the semifinal from the beginning and won by technical superiority (11-0) in the 57kg category to go into the history books. Only four Indian women wrestlers — Geeta Phogat (2012), Babita Phogat (2012), Pooja Dhanda (2018) and Vinesh Phogat (2019) — have won medals at the World Championship, and all of them clinched bronze.
Anshu also became only the sixth Indian ever to make the World Championship final after Bishambar Singh (1967), Sushil Kumar (2010), Amit Dahiya (2013), Bajrang Punia (2018) and Deepak Punia (2019). Only Sushil has won a gold. “I am so happy. What I could not do at the Tokyo Games I did here. I fought each and every bout as my last bout,” said Anshu.
“I suffered an injury (elbow) and can’t explain how much pain I endured one month before the World Championship. I will fight the final like it’s my last bout,” she said.
Anshu will play USA’s Helen Louise Maroulis in the final on Thursday. Maroulis beat Japan’s Sae Nanjo 6-4 in the other semifinal. On her way to the final, Anshu beat Kazakhstan’s Nilufar Raimova by technical superiority before beating Mongolia’s Davaachimeg Erkhembayar 5-1 in the quarterfinals.
Seasoned Sarita Mor shocked defending champion Linda Morais of Canada 8-2 in her opening bout and beat Germany’s Sandra Paruszewski 3-1 in the quarterfinals. Up against Bulgaria’s Bilyana Zhivkova Duodova, the reigning European champion, Sarita fought her heart out but lost 3-0. She will now fight for a bronze.
Kiran (76kg) won her repechage round against Turkey’s Aysegul Ozbege to reach the bronze playoff match but could not convert the chance after a 2-1 defeat against Samar Hamza.
In the 72kg, Divya Kakran stunned Kseniia Burakova with a ‘win by fall’ but lost her quarterfinal by technical superiority to Japan’s Under-23 world champion Masako Furuich. Divya will fight in the repechage rounds.
Pooja Jatt (53kg) lost her repechage by fall to Eucuador’s Luisa Elizabeth Melendres. Ritu Malik (68kg) was blown away by Ukraine’s Anastasiia Lavrenchuk in the qualification bout that lasted only 15 seconds. — PTI
