Indian Wrestlers Face Challenges on Day 4 of World Championships

The World Wrestling Championships in Zagreb proved challenging for Indian wrestlers on Day 4, with the national team facing a series of tough defeats. Despite strong performances, none of the wrestlers advanced to the medal rounds, continuing India’s struggle at this prestigious event.

In men’s freestyle, Sujeet Kalkal stood out as India’s top performer, showcasing potential through his initial victories. He dominated matches against Turkey’s Cavit Acar with a score of 15-5 and North Korea’s Kwang Jin Kim, winning 9-2. However, his journey ended in the quarterfinals after a narrow loss to reigning world champion Rahman Amouzad from Iran, with a score of 5-6.

Following Amouzad’s progression to the final, Kalkal received a repechage opportunity but fell short again, losing 5-7 to Real Marshall Ray Woods of the USA. The Indian camp expressed disappointment, believing Woods should have faced penalties for passivity during their match.

In the 97 kg category, Vicky aimed to turn his fortunes around after an earlier defeat, but he too could not advance, losing to Bulgaria’s Adamovich Magamaev. This continued a disappointing trend for India’s men’s freestyle wrestlers, who have yet to secure a medal in Zagreb.

The women’s wrestling team also faced setbacks. Tapasya, the U20 World Champion competing in the 57 kg category, lost a closely contested match 2-4 against Mexico’s Bertha Chavez, despite showing early promise. In the 50 kg division, Ankush suffered a narrow defeat 5-6 to Belarus’ Natallia Varakina after conceding crucial late points.

On a positive note, Vaishnavi Patil, in her senior world championship debut in the 65 kg class, secured a rare victory for India by defeating Latvia’s Elma Zeidlere 3-1. Unfortunately, her journey was cut short in the quarterfinals, where she lost 2-4 to Mongolia’s Enkhjin Tuvshinjargal. She still holds a chance for a medal through the repechage if Tuvshinjargal makes it to the final.

Meanwhile, Priya Malik, representing India in the 76 kg category, exited early after losing to Ecuador’s Genesis Reasco Valdez. Her hopes for a repechage opportunity hinge on Valdez’s progress in the tournament.

With Day 4 concluding without any medals for India, the team’s prospects hinge on the remaining athletes still competing in the repechage rounds. As the championships continue, there remains some hope for Indian wrestlers to salvage podium finishes in the upcoming sessions.