Published 23:57 IST, October 31st 2019
Pooja Gehlot in 53kg final of Under-23 World Wrestling Championship
Pooja Gehlot (53kg) stormed into the final to continue India’s quest for the first gold medal from the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships 2019 in Budapest
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Pooja Gehlot (53kg) stormed into the final to continue India’s quest for the first gold medal from the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships 2019 in Budapest, Hungary on Thursday. It was a fantastic display from the youngster who got the better of 2018 Junior European Wrestling Championships gold medallist Zeynep Yetgil of Turkey 8-4 to advance to Friday’s summit showdown with Japan’s 2017 world champion Haruna Okuno.
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Demolishing the opponents
Gehlot earlier started from the qualifying stages, where she demolished Ekaterina Verbina of Russia 8-3. In the quarter-finals, Gehlot blazed through her bout, notching up a commanding 8-0 win.
Gehlot is the second Indian to make it to the final of this edition of the championships following men’s freestyle expert, Ravinder (61kg), who won silver on Wednesday.
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In 50kg, Jyoti’s hopes of getting a bronze were dashed when she was blanked 0-10 by Russia’s Nadezhda Sokolova.
In 57kg, Pinki Rani advanced to the quarters from the qualifiers by sheer dint of a one-sided 5-0 victory over Arian Geralin Carpio of the USA. Her run came to an end in the last-eight at the hands of Hannah Fay Taylor, who edged her 2-1 in a gritty contest.
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None of the other Indians in action could win a round. While Ukraine’s Ilona Prokopevniuk was declared a 2-0 winner by fall over Reshma Mane in 62kg, Nisha exited with a 3-11 loss to Maya Gabriella Nelson of the USA in 65kg.
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In 72kg, Naina suffered the same fate when she was shown the door by Cuba’s Milaimys de la Caridad Marin Potrille in a 13-3 victory.
23:39 IST, October 31st 2019