Vinesh Phogat moved a step closer to an Asian Games berth after advancing to the women’s 53kg semifinals at the selection trials in New Delhi on Saturday, extending her winning run following a dramatic build-up to the competition.
The Olympian wrestler, whose participation was only confirmed after legal and administrative hurdles over the past two days, registered two victories on the mat to stay in contention for a place in the Indian squad.
Vinesh opened her campaign with a convincing 7-1 win over Jyoti before overcoming a much sterner challenge from Nishu in the quarterfinals. In a closely contested bout, the former World Championships medallist held her nerve to secure a narrow 7-6 victory and book her place in the last four.
Competing in her preferred 53kg category after the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) revised its earlier stance restricting her to 50kg, Vinesh gradually settled into her rhythm in the opening match. After taking an early point through a push-out, she increased the intensity in the second period and built momentum with a successful takedown and a series of counter-attacking moves to race to a 7-0 lead before eventually winning 7-1.
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The quarterfinal against Nishu proved to be a far tougher test, with the bout remaining close throughout. Vinesh ultimately edged the contest 7-6, moving within two wins of sealing an Asian Games spot.
Vinesh’s participation in the trials was only confirmed on Friday when the Supreme Court permitted her to compete. A bench led by Justice P.S. Narasimha noted that she deserved the chance, given her contributions to the country. Previously, the WFI had insisted she could only compete in the 50kg category, a decision she strongly opposed, accusing the federation of bias.
After discussions within the organization and intervention from WFI president Sanjay Singh, the decision was revised on Saturday morning, allowing Vinesh to compete in the 53kg trials.
In another match, Antim Panghal made a strong entry, defeating Tannu by technical superiority in just 34 seconds. If the results go as expected, Indian wrestling fans may see a highly anticipated final between Vinesh and Antim, though first, Vinesh is expected to face the well-regarded Meenakshi Goyat in the semifinals.
(With agency inputs)