Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, May 30: India's rising women wrestlers produced an impressive performance at the U17 Asian Wrestling Championships in Da Nang, Vietnam, securing two gold medals, two silvers, and a bronze to continue the country's strong run on the continental stage.
Leading India's charge was Diksha in the 43kg category. She delivered a flawless campaign, defeating Kyrgyzstan's Asangaryeva 6-0 in the final to capture the gold medal. Earlier, Diksha had dominated her opponents from Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam with commanding 8-0 and 10-0 victories respectively.
India's second gold medal came through Garima in the 73kg division. Displaying aggressive attacking wrestling throughout the competition, Garima defeated Mongolia's Namuuntsetseg Batbold 18-6 in the final to finish atop the podium.
The Indian contingent also earned two silver medals. In the 49kg category, Nikita finished runner-up after losing 2-10 to China's Yuan Yuting in the title bout. Meanwhile, Antra secured silver in the 65kg division after a spirited campaign that included a notable semifinal victory over a Japanese opponent before falling 0-5 to China's Siyu Wei in the final.
India's lone bronze medal of the day was won by Sakshi in the 57kg category. Recovering strongly from a narrow semifinal setback, Sakshi defeated Kazakhstan's Arina Kuanyshova by technical superiority, registering a dominant 10-0 victory in the bronze-medal playoff.
The performance further highlights the growing depth of India's women's wrestling programme and follows the country's outstanding showing at the U23 Asian Wrestling Championships, also held in Da Nang.
Earlier in the week, India's men's freestyle team emerged as overall champions at the U23 continental event, securing the team title ahead of traditional wrestling powers Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
India concluded the U23 Championships with an impressive haul of 27 medals across freestyle, women's wrestling, and Greco-Roman disciplines, including 11 gold, seven silver, and nine bronze medals.
The women's team played a major role in that success, winning 10 medals overall. Gold medals were secured by Muskan (53kg), Tapasya (57kg), Bhagyashree (62kg), Pulkit (67kg), Mansi (68kg), and Kajal (76kg). Silver medals were won by Neha and Sweety, while Amruta and Ahilya claimed bronze medals.
The latest success at both U17 and U23 levels reinforces India's growing reputation as one of Asia's strongest emerging forces in women's wrestling and augurs well for the country's future on the international stage.