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.
Woman wrestler Pooja Dhanda won India's first medal at the Youth Olympic Games while shuttlers Sai Praneeth and HS Prannoy kept themselves in contention after the second day in the inaugural event in Singapore. After beating three opponents without conceding a point, Pooja lost 1-3 to Baatarzorig Battsetseg of Mongolia in the final and had to settle for a silver in the 60kg freestyle category.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
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.
Pooja Dhanda claimed gold in the 59kg category while Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik settled for a silver medal in the 65kg category
India's top female sportspersons, including ace shuttler PV Sindhu and world champion boxer MC Mary Kom on Saturday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Bharat Ki Laxmi' initiative.
Of three grapplers in action, only Hardeep managed to win a bout when he downed Morocco's Choucri Atafi 8-4 in the 1/16 in the 97kg category. Later he lost his 1/8 bout 1-4 to Laokratis Kesidis from Greece.
The Indian wrestling contingent were hit with a doping scandal ahead of the 2016 Rio Games, which resulted in freestyle medal contender Narsingh Pancham Yadav being disqualified just days before his scheduled opening bout.
Vinesh wins bronze, Pooja in line for second medal
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.
Manish, competing in the 67kg, is the only Indian Greco Roman grappler to have won a bout thus far. He won his qualification bout 3-1 against Aleksandrs of Latvia before losing the 1/16 round 0-9 to Japan's Tsuchika Shimoyamada.
Wrestler Kadian Satywart won a bronze in 100kg freestyle event, while shuttler H S Pronnoy and tennis star Yuki Bhambri kept their medal hopes alive as Indians had a good day in office in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore on Tuesday.
World Championship silver medallist wrestler Deepak Punia has jumped to World No 1 position in the 86kg but Bajrang Punia lost the top rank in the 65kg category in the latest rankings.
The denial of visa to Pakistani shooters had led to the International Olympic Committee suspending discussions with India for hosting future global events.
India's big hope Yuki Bhambri crashed out of the US Open men's singles qualifiers with a three-set defeat to Japanese Go Soeda while Prajnesh Gunneswaran also suffered a tame defeat in New York.
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.
The sessions on opening day was attended by athletes and para athletes from all sport, including Olympic probables shooters Divyash Panwar, Apurvi Chandela, Abhishek Verma, Anish Bhanwala, boxers Lovlina Borgohain and Nikhat Zarin along with swimmer Srihari Nataraj. The first session of the 24-series workshop started on Friday with physiotherapist Dr. Nikhil Latey speaking about how to train at home during the time of Corona, getting over 8K views.
India's wrestlers received a welcome boost ahead of this month's Asian Games after the federation got automaker Tata Motors as their principal sponsor on Wednesday.
While skill is not an issue with Vinesh, holding off strong candidates for six minutes is a big challenge, she herself had admitted recently.
The wrestler became the World No 1 in the 65kg category
Pitted against heavyweights in their respective first round, both Sonam and Anshu cared little for reputations, fighting fearlessly.
Vinesh Phogat won her first gold medal of the 2020 season at the Rome Ranking Series event
The women's national wrestling camp will finally begin at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre in Lucknow from October 10, the Wrestling Federation of India said on Tuesday, with a warning that the grapplers who miss it will not be considered for selection to the Indian team.
"I want to dedicate my gold to Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. He has inspired me," Punia tweeted after his victory.
Pooja Dhanda, a world championship medallist, said that lack of competition has crippled wrestlers.
Young Ritu Malik kept India in medal contention by reaching the bronze play-off ,but there was no end to the woes of Sakshi Malik, who suffered a humiliating quarter-final defeat, and Ritu Phogat at the World Championship , in Budapest, on Wednesday.
'It's not my choice to be back home. They approved everything before I left as I filled out the forms. I received my March salary and it was only half. When I inquired, they said they are holding my pay'
Proving her mettle yet again, young Sonam Malik downed Sakshi Malik for the second time in a row, this time by pinning the Olympic medallist, to make it to the Indian team for next month's Olympic Qualifiers, in Lucknow, on Wednesday. She first got past Radhika and then caring little for reputations, Sonam beat the Asian Championship 59kg gold medallist Sarita Mor (3-1) in the semi-finals before register a victory by fall against Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi in the final.
Anshu Malik and Sonam Malik are best friends, thanks to a timely truce called by their parents and coaches.
A dominant Bajrang Punia overpowered his opponents with remarkable ease to claim gold medal in the men's freestyle 65 kg event at the 21st Commonwealth Games on Friday.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday.
One of the two wrestlers in a medal contention, the 24-year-old Pooja executed a four-point throw in each of the two periods in the 57kg contest to deliver the best performance of her career.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Saturday
Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik and Asian Games champion Vinesh Phogat won a bronze each as India's women ended their campaign without a gold medal in the Asian Wrestling Championships, in Xi'an, on Friday.
World No 1 Bajrang has recently stamped his authority at the Asian Championship in Xi'an, China by clinching a gold medal in the men's 65kg freestyle event.
Bajrang Punia lost his semi-final bout against home wrestler Daulet Niyazbekov under controversial circumstances after he secured his place in the Tokyo Olympics along with debutant Ravi Dahiya at the World Wrestling Championships.
Vinesh Phogat created history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to win a gold medal at the Asian Games, brushing aside her rivals with remarkable ease in the 50kg category.
Star India grappler Vinesh Phogat won her second consecutive gold in 53kg
The committee also picked 19 sportspersons for the Arjuna Award, including the likes of cricketers Ravindra Jadeja and Poonam Yadav, track and field stars Tejinder Pal Singh Toor, Mohammed Anas and Swapna Barman.
Sports Ministry formally recognises yogasana as competitive sport.
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