India’s star wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was at the forefront of the protests against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh, secured an Olympic quota in the women’s 50kg category.
This is India’s second berth for the Paris Games, with Antim Panghal earning a quota in the 53 kg category through her bronze medal-winning performance at the World Championships last year.
The Commonwealth and Asian Games champion dominated Kazakhstan’s Laura Ganikyzy with a score of 10-0 in the semifinals of the Asian Olympic qualifiers.
She achieved victory in just 4:18 minutes through her superior technical skills against her Kazakh counterpart.
Her next challenge awaits in the form of Aktenge Keunimjaeva from Uzbekistan, who secured a 4-2 victory over Meng Hsuan Hsieh of Chinese Taipei.
After nearly two years of absence from competition, during which she protested against former WFI president Brij Bhushan Saran Singh, Vinesh Phogat returned to the arena.
She contested in trials across two weight categories and emerged triumphant in the 50 kg category trial, earning her spot in the Asian Olympics qualifications.
Vinesh exhibited her prowess in the wrestling ring with an impeccable display during her initial bout, where she dominated South Korea’s Cheon Miran with a commanding 10-0 triumph in the round of 16.
In the quarter-final match against Cambodia’s Dit Samnang, she swiftly secured another victory, triumphing by fall (VFA) in less than a minute.
It’s noteworthy that Vinesh competed in the 50kg category, deviating from her usual preference of 53kg. Nevertheless, her exceptional skill was evident throughout.