Mixing strong defence with measured attack, young wrestler Antim Panghal won her second World Championship medal with a dominating 9-1 victory over U-23 World Champion Emma Jonna Denise Malmgren in the bronze play-off in Zagreb on Thursday, ensuring that the Indian contingent won't return empty-handed from the Croatian capital.
Anshu Malik created history on Wednesday, becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the World Championships final. She outclassed junior European champion Solomiia Vynnyk, even as Sarita Mor lost her semi-final after shocking World champion Linda Morais of Canada earlier in the day.
Indian wrestler Anshu Malik, a strong medal hope for the Paris Olympics, suffered a shoulder strain during training.
Wrestlers busy getting daily passes for personal coaches after arrival at Games Village
Anshu secured a Paris Games quota from the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in April this year. Two months later, she won a silver medal at the Budapest Ranking Series.
Indian wrestlers have not missed a medal since the 2008 Beijing Games and the onus is now on Vinesh Phogat & Co to continue the trend.
Following is India's schedule on Thursday, Day 13 of competition at the Paris Games:
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Vinesh demonstrated her dominance by defeating Jyoti in just two minutes.
Wrestler Aman Sehrawat added to India's medal tally at the Olympics, winning the bronze in the men's 57kg Freestyle in Paris on Friday. He defeated Puerto Rico's Darian Cruz 13-5.
Paris Games quota-winning women wrestlers on Friday pleaded with the national federation not to subject them to selection trials, saying that every single step they take and every little thing they do from now on will have a bearing on India's medal chances at the Olympics.
Wrestling's world governing body UWW has suspended Bajrang Punia till the end of this year following NADA's decision to hand him a provisional suspension for refusing to undergo a dope test.
India will send 117 athletes to the Paris Olympics, starting July 26 in the French capital. This will be India's second-biggest contingent at an Olympic Games after 121 athletes went to Tokyo in 2021. A total of 47 female and 70 male athletes will be part of the Indian contingent at the Games.
The Wrestling Federation of India on Tuesday decided to exempt all six Olympic quota winners from selection trials.
Six medals from a 117-strong contingent is not ideal but India had its moments of joy, hope, frustration, and heartache.
Only one male and five female wrestlers qualified for the upcoming edition. Here's a look at the strength and weakness of all the six contenders.
Babita, a former wrestler, arrived at the protest site and heard the demands of the grapplers.
Three years ago, India returned from Tokyo with seven medals, and it is only natural that a double-digit performance is now desired in Paris.
Bajrang Punia has been handed a provisional suspension for refusing to give his sample for dope test during the recent trials.
Vinesh Phogat locked Paris Olympics quota in the women's 50kg category, reaching the final at the Asian Olympic Qualifier without conceding a single point.
World championship medallist Vinesh Phogat, one of the country's top wrestlers, on Wednesday alleged that WFI president Singh has been sexually exploiting women wrestlers for years, a charge vehemently rejected by the BJP MP.
'Vinesh wants an assurance from the government. Probably she fears that if WFI gets back the control, the federation may change the selection policy. But how can the government give assurance on this. The government can't interfere in selection matters.'
Young Indian wrestler Antim Panghal's superb campaign at the World Championships culminated with a bronze medal, a performance that also earned the country a 53kg quota for the Paris Olympics.
Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal raised a question on Friday as to why the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has not been asked to resign, in the wake allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by female wrestlers.
The 76kg category had eight wrestlers while the 68kg class featured nine wrestlers, where minnows like Bangladesh, Mauritius, Cameroon, Tonga and New Zealand were part of the field.
Here's your complete guide to when India's athletes compete at the Paris Olympics, with dates, events, and timings in IST.
Vinesh Phogat failed to put up a fight and was knocked down by Mongolia's Khulan Batkhuyag
The wrestlers refused to back down from their demand that the government immediately disband the Wrestling Federation of India.
Yogeshwar questions 'unfair' trial exemption given to 6 wrestlers by IOA ad-hoc panel
The DCW chief in her complaint to police alleged that the man who was driving a white-coloured car stopped the car near her and "made indecent gestures" at her.
The coaches and parents of several established and upcoming wrestlers on Friday demanded withdrawal of exemption granted to Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia.
Anshu Malik settled for a silver medal after losing her 57kg final to 2016 Olympic champion Helen Lousie Maroulis but Sarita Mor grabbed her maiden medal at the big stage by winning the 59kg bronze, in Oslo, Norway on Thursday.
'I also have full faith in the Government of India, who I am sure will take the correct step in the right direction in this regard. However, as the IOA President, I sincerely hope the athletes, under no circumstances, are denied their rights'
As the Indian wrestlers await the fate of underfire WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Rio Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik threatened to quit the sport if action isn't taken.
Vinesh, who had travelled to Tokyo from Hungary where he had trained with coach Woller Akos, had refused to stay at the Games Village and train with the other Indian team members.
Star wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat's request to train in Kyrgyzstan and Poland respectively was approved by TOPS.
In the 57kg competition, much was expected from talented Anshu Malik but the 2021 world championship silver medallist struggled to score against Nanjo, the reigning U23 world champion.
The 19-year-old Panghal put up a dominant show in the 53kg category, winning all her bouts without much fuss.
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