World Championships medallists Kajal Dhochak and Neelam Sirohi secured their places in India’s squad for the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships after dominant performances at the selection trialsAmruta Pujari also impressed.
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Kajal Dhochak (L) and Neelam Sirohi (R) (Photo: UWW/X)
India’s top women wrestlers Kajal Dhochak and Neelam Sirohi secured their places in the national team for next month’s Commonwealth Wrestling Championships after impressive performances at the selection trialsWhile both World Championships silver medallists won their bouts comfortably, Amruta Pujari also grabbed attention with her smart approach in the 72kg category.
The Commonwealth Wrestling Championships will take place in Polokwane, South Africa, from December 4 to 6Several other wrestlers also booked their places in the Indian squad, with the trials producing some closely fought contests.
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Kajal Dhochak Finishes Her Bout In Just 35 Seconds
Kajal, who recently won a silver medal at the World Championships in Astana, needed only 35 seconds to secure her place in the women’s 76kg categoryShe defeated Vedita by technical superiority after launching a series of powerful attacks.
Kajal started with a double-leg attack before lifting her opponent for a throwShe followed it up with another four-point move and completed the victory with a takedown.
Neelam Sirohi was equally impressive in the 50kg categoryThe World Championships silver medallist pinned Neha Chugate to claim a comfortable victoryNeela used a strong double-leg attack before controlling her opponent and taking her down to the mat for the pin.
Amruta Pujari’s Late Attacks Make The Difference
U23 World Championships silver medallist Amruta Pujari produced one of the most exciting performances of the trials in the 72kg categoryShe can wait for the right moment and attack at the end which got her out of trouble in some tough situations.
She began her campaign with a victory by fall against Nisha but faced a tougher challenge against Priyanka in the semifinalTrailing 1-2 with only three seconds remaining, Amruta managed a takedown near the edge of the wrestling area to secure the win.
The final against Bipasha was another close contestAmruta was behind 1-3 but turned the match around with a successful roll from an arm-lock position before pinning her opponent.
Nishu, Srishti Among Other Trial Winners
Srishti defeated Mansi Lather in the 68kg category to earn her place in the teamShe built an early four-point lead and defended it well to complete the victory.
In the 53kg final, Nishu defeated Sneha 7-1Nishu had earlier given Vinesh Phogat a tough challenge during the latter’s comeback bout.
Ahilya Sinde (55kg), Neha Sangwan (59kg), Pushpa (62kg) and Janvi (65kg) were the other winners at the trials.
Antim Panghal Misses Trials, Top Wrestlers Get Exemption
World Championships medallist Antim Panghal requested permission to compete in the trials at the last momentHowever, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) did not allow her to participate as she had not reported for the weigh-in.
Meanwhile, several leading Indian wrestlers, including Aman Sehrawat, Sujeet Kalkal, Manisha Bhanwala, Nitesh Siwach, Deepak Punia and Sunit, received exemptions and were allowed to enter as India’s second competitors in their respective categories at their own expense.
The competition allows countries to field two wrestlers in each weight categoryThe government will cover the expenses of the trial winners, while the second entries must pay for their own participation.
Separately, Haryana Thunder felicitated four women World Championships medal winners during the trialsTanu Sharma received Rs 75,000, Neelam and Kajal were awarded Rs 1 lakh each, while gold medallist Manisha Bhanwala received Rs 1.5 lakh.
