Wrestler Sonam Malik ended her campaign at the Tokyo Olympics before it could even begin as she suffered a narrow loss in the Round of 16.
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Wrestler Sonam Malik ended her campaign in Tokyo before it could even begin. The Indian, who took on Bolortuya Khurelkhuu from Mongolia in the round of 16 match, ended up losing by the smallest of margins and is therefore out of the tournament. (Tokyo 2020 full coverage)
Sonam began the match brightly enough and had a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period. Then it went one better for her when she managed to push her opponent out of bounds. She thus had a 2-0 lead.
However, the Mongolian continued to probe even as Sonam was keen to hold on. In the end, it was Khurelkhuu whose patience was rewarded.
She managed to score a two-pointer with less than 20 seconds remaining. The scores were level but, at this rate, it was Khurelkhuu who would go through. The countback first looks at more high-scoring moves, an area where she led the Indian 1-0.
As expected, Sonam could not add another point and thus she will not be part of the quarters. She may still be in with a shout for a bronze medal via the repechage.
However, for that to happen, Khurelkhuu must reach the final.
The Tokyo Olympics, which was delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is now up and running. The Games have not been without their share of controversies, however.
The event is happening despite plenty of protests from the Japanese people against it. And the angst is not without reason. Tokyo is currently in a state of emergency due to a rise in COVID cases.
The Games will by and large be played out in the absence of fans, always a major psychological blow to athletes. There’s also been a number of cases reported in the Olympic village itself.
Nevertheless, the Games remain an event that many around the world will be keen to watch. From July 23 to August 8, many will be hooked onto their televisions to follow the events.
