World Championships: Vinesh Phogat makes early exit after suffering 0-7 loss

PTI

Belgrade, September 13

Triple Commonwealth Games champion Vinesh Phogat failed to put up a fight and was knocked out by Mongolia’s Khulan Batkhuyag in a major upset at the World Wrestling Championships here today.

Fresh from winning gold in India’s stupendous 12-medal-winning show at the Birmingham CWG, the 10th-seeded Vinesh looked jaded during her 0-7 loss. She lost her balance in the final seconds to give away a whopping four points to the Asian silver medallist in the women’s freestyle 53kg category.

Batkhuyag took a 3-0 lead in the first period before slamming the former World Championships bronze medallist backward on the mat in the final seconds to take four points and complete a dominating win.

Incidentally, Indian junior wrestler Antim Panghal, who was knocked out by Vinesh in the selection trials, had beaten the Mongolian at the U-23 Asian meet last month.

In the absence of former silver medallist Anshu Malik, Vinesh was a strong medal favourite as she also got a favourable draw after the pull-out of reigning champion and Japanese sensation Akari Fujinami.

India had more disappointment in store as Neelam Sirohi lost to two-time World Championships silver medallist Emilia Alina Vuc of Romania 0-10 via technical superiority in the 50kg category. Frenchwoman Koumba Larroque, who was fighting with a heavily strapped knee, beat Shafali via technical superiority in the 65kg class.

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