Indian wrestlers experienced a mixed day of high stakes and dramatic turns at the ongoing World Wrestling Championships in Astana. While Manisha Bhanwala powered her way into the gold medal match of the women's 59kg division, male grappler Sujit Kalkal faced a heartbreaking exit in the quarterfinals after a fiercely contested bout.
Manisha Bhanwala Nears Historic Gold
Manisha Bhanwala has put herself just one win away from becoming a world champion following a dominant run through the tournament. In the semifinal clash, she outplayed Kazakhstan's Altynay Shagayeva, establishing a 3-0 lead by the end of the first period with airtight defense. In the second period, she executed a decisive takedown and secured a pin-fall advantage to close out the bout at 10-0. Earlier in the competition, she defeated Mongolia's Bolortuya Khurelkhuu 6-0 in the quarterfinals and pinned Canada's Laurence Beauregard. She will now face Pan American champion Abigail Elizabeth Nette for the gold medal.
Sujit Kalkal's Winning Streak Ends
In the men's 65kg category, top medal hope Sujit Kalkal saw his remarkable run halted in the quarterfinals by Tajikistan's Abdulmajid Kudiev. Having captured seven titles over the past year including the Under-23 World Championships and Asian Games, Sujit fought a tense tactical battle. The score was deadlocked at 3-3 following a successful challenge by his opponent, and Kudiev advanced on the criteria of scoring the last point. This marks Sujit's first defeat since the repechage rounds at the Zagreb World Championships last year.
Mixed Results Across Other Weight Categories
Other members of the Indian contingent delivered varied outcomes on the mats. Tanu secured a bronze medal in the women's 72kg division by defeating America's Precious Rosanna Bell 9-5. In the women's 55kg category, Ahilya Shinde overcame Cuba's Yenelis Sanz Verdesia 8-1 before losing a close 6-9 match to Turkey's Tuba Demir. Srishti exited the tournament in the women's 68kg repechage after falling to America's Kennedy Blades. In the men's 97kg event, Vicky defeated Sarco Colmenares 8-2 to reach the last eight, but ultimately lost 2-12 on technical superiority to Japan's Arash Yoshida.
