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.
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.
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.
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.
India's young wrestlers Anshu Malik and Sonam Malik produced impressive performances in the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Almaty, Kazakhstan on Saturday to qualify for the Tokyo Games.
Wrestlers busy getting daily passes for personal coaches after arrival at Games Village
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.
Olympic-bound wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Anshu Malik won their maiden Asian Championship titles after comfortable triumphs in their respective summit clashes in Almaty on Friday.
On Friday, Sakshi (65kg, silver), Vinesh (53kg, bronze) young Anshu Malik (57kg bronze) and Gursharan Preet kaur (72kg, bronze) added to India's tally.
Aman Sehrawat's Olympic dream suffers a setback as he is comprehensively outclassed by top seed Rei Higuchi
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.
Vinesh demonstrated her dominance by defeating Jyoti in just two minutes.
Pitted against heavyweights in their respective first round, both Sonam and Anshu cared little for reputations, fighting fearlessly.
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.
Following is India's schedule on Thursday, Day 13 of competition at the Paris Games:
Vanesa, the reigning European champion, executed her strategy perfectly as Vinesh could not find a way to wriggle out of Vanesa's headlocks.
Babita, a former wrestler, arrived at the protest site and heard the demands of the grapplers.
The 19-year-old led the bout 2-0 but the reigning Asian silver medallist Khurelkhuu effected a take-down move with just 35 seconds left in the contest to level the score.
Wrestlers Antim, Aman seeded at Paris 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Anshu Malik and Sonam Malik are best friends, thanks to a timely truce called by their parents and coaches.
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.
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.
Sumit joins the likes of Ravi Kumar Dahiya (57kg), Bajrang Punia (65kg) and Deepak Punia (86kg) in men's freestyle and Vinesh Phogat (53kg), Anshu Malik (57kg) and Sonam Malik (62kg) in women weights for those who have qualified for the Olympics.
Bajrang Punia banned, Phogat turns politician, WFI suspension, litigations, and lost medals: How Indian wrestling stagnated in 2024
Such was Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang's dominance in the 65kg competition that he won three of his four bouts inside first rounds.
Manisha had ousted Sangeeta Phogat, wife of Bajrang Punia, 7-5 in the semifinals.
The coaches and parents of several established and upcoming wrestlers on Friday demanded withdrawal of exemption granted to Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia.
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.
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.
The Wrestling Federation of India on Tuesday decided to exempt all six Olympic quota winners from selection trials.
Indian wrestlers have been highly impressive at the global level in run up to the Tokyo Olympics and at least three of them are genuine medal contenders at the Games.
The CWG will be important not only for Vinesh and Sakshi but also for Bajrang Punia, who has been a bit iffy about his attacking prowess
