Notably absent from the Asian Wrestling Championships trials were double Worlds bronze medalist Vinesh Phogat and Olympic bronze medalist Sakshi Malik.
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India’s top female wrestlers competed at the Asian championships selection trials held in Delhi on Saturday. Among the notable wrestlers were Anshu Malik, Sarita Mor, and Sonam Malik, who had previously participated in a protest against the Wrestling Federation of India in January and skipped two international ranking events. Anshu Malik, the silver medalist at the World Championships, was the only wrestler in her weight class and secured the number one position without having to compete. Sarita Mor, the bronze medalist at the World Championships, won all her matches, including a thrilling 3-2 victory over Mansi, under the Nordic system. Meanwhile, Sonam Malik won all her bouts on technical superiority.
Notably absent from the Asian Wrestling Championships trials were double Worlds bronze medalist Vinesh Phogat and Olympic bronze medalist Sakshi Malik, both of whom were among the prominent faces during the earlier protest. In the 55kg weight class, the final bout was a high-scoring nail-biter, with World under-20 bronze medalist Sito defeating National champion Anju 17-16 to emerge as the winner. In the 53kg weight class, World under-20 champion and National Games gold winner Antim Panghal asserted her class to win the trials.
The 68kg weight class saw World under-23 bronze medalist Nisha Dahiya clinch the top spot, despite having injury issues. She won two other bouts due to injuries to her opponents. In the 72kg weight class, World junior bronze medalist and recent Ibrahim Moustafa Ranking Series bronze medalist Reetika emerged as the best wrestler. Finally, in the 76kg weight class, World cadet gold medalist Priya Malik recorded comprehensive wins to secure the number one position for the Asian Wrestling Championships in Astana next month.
Read more: Meet Antim Panghal: The trailblazer from World U20 Wrestling Championships
The selection trials were held in preparation for the upcoming Asian Wrestling Championships, which will take place in Astana, Kazakhstan next month. The Indian wrestling team is expected to perform well at the tournament, with several top-performing athletes among their ranks. The men’s Freestyle and Greco Roman squad were also picked yesterday. Deepak Punia, the Commonwealth Games 2022 gold medalist, will lead the Indian men’s team in freestyle event. The squad also includes the likes of Aman Sehrawat, Mulayam Yadav, and Sajan Bhanwala.
Squad for the Asian Wrestling Championships: Neelam (50kg), Antim Panghal (53kg), Sito (55kg), Anshu Malik (57kg), Sarita Mor (59kg), Sonam Malik (62kg), Manisha (65kg), Nisha Dahiya (68kg), Reetika (72kg), Priya Malik (76kg).
Read more: Asian Wrestling Championships 2023: Indian Men’s squad announced
