World Wrestling Championships: Vinesh Phogat bags bronze medal, scripts history
Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat scripted history at the World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade. Phogat has joined an elite list of Indian wrestlers to win multiple medals at the top event. She overcame Sweden's Emma Malmgren 8-0 to win the bronze medal. She has now become the first Indian female wrestler to win two medals at the World Championships. Here's more.
A shock defeat for Phogat in the qualification round
Vinesh suffered a shock qualification round defeat to 2022 Asian-championships'>Asian Championships silver medalist Khulan Batkhuyag of Mongolia. Phogat trailed Batkhuyag throughout and lost 0-7. Batkhuyag made it through to the final by winning her next matches, thus giving Vinesh a shot at the bronze medal.
Phogat wins three successive repechage round matches to claim bronze
Phogat had to sweat it out by having to feature in three repechage round matches. Firstly, she defeated 2018 Asian Games silver medallist Zhuldyz Eshimova of Kazakhstan by a 4-0 margin (Victory vy Fall). Her next match saw beat Azerbaijan's Leyla Gurbanova on basis of Win by injury (VIN). After winning this match, she progressed to the bronze medal match.
Vinesh clinched CWG gold last month
Last month, Vinesh won her third successive gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. Vinesh won in the 53kg category after beating Sri Lanka's Chamodya Keshani Maduravlage Don. In what was a one-sided contest, Vinesh stood tall to deliver the goods.
Records scripted history at the CWG
Vinesh scripted history as she became the 1st Indian woman to bag 3 consecutive gold medals at the CWG. She was earlier the 1st Indian woman to win gold at both Asian Games and CWG. The talented wrestler won the 2014 event in Glasgow (48kg category). She then sealed another gold in Gold Coast 2018 (50kg category).
A look at her career achievements
Vinesh has gone on to win a total of eight medals at the Asian Championships, including one gold. She has won two medals at the Asian Games. She won the gold in 2018 Jakarta and a bronze in 2014 Incheon (48kg category). She has also won a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships. She has won a silver at the Youth Wrestling Championship.
