Key Points
Manisha dominates 62kg with gold after defeating top opponents
Antim Panghal returns with bronze in 53kg
India's medal tally now 1 gold, 1 silver, 4 bronze
WFI anticipates strong freestyle wrestling results
The third day of the event in the Jordan capital proved to be a historic day for Indian wrestling, as the Indian women's wrestling team secured a gold and a bronze medal, bringing India's total medal count to 1 gold, 1 silver, and 4 bronze.
The highlight of the day was Manisha (62kg), who clinched India's first gold medal of the championship with an outstanding performance. She dominated her way to the final, defeating some of the toughest opponents.
After defeating Kazakhstan's Tynys Dubek (WR 9) 11-0, the World ranking number 10 Indian defeated Korea's Hanbit Lee by fall, followed by a 5-1 victory over the 2023 Asian Champion Kalmira Bilimbekova 5-1. In a closely fought contest, Manisha edged past DPR Korea's Ok J. Kim 8-7 to secure India's first gold medal of the tournament.
Meanwhile, Antim Panghal (53kg), returning to international competition after the 2024 Paris Olympics, secured a bronze medal. She began strongly with a win over China's Jin Zhang (2024 World Championship silver medallist), 10-6 in the quarterfinals.
However, she faced a tough challenge in the semifinals, losing to Japan's Moe Kiyooka (World Champion) 10-0. Antim bounced back in the bronze medal bout, securing a dominant 10-0 victory over DPR Korea's Meng Hsuan Hsieh.
"With the Freestyle Wrestling competition set to begin tomorrow, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) expects more medals and strong performances from the Indian contingent," read the statement by Sanjay Kumar Singh, WFI President.
India's Medal Tally So Far:
Gold Medal: 1 (Manisha - 62 kg)
Silver Medal: 1 (Reetika - 76 kg)
Bronze Medals: 4 (Antim- 53kg, Muskan- 59kg, Mansi Lather- 68kg, Sunil Kumar- 87 kg and Nitesh- 97kg)
