A gold medal remained illusory for India at the junior world wrestling championship as both Bhateri (65kg) and Sanju Devi (62kg) lost their individual finals rather coolly while Saneh (72kg) was stretchered out of the mat after experiencing a knee injury in the bronze competition here on Friday. Sanju Devi had managed response wins in her previous spell but Friday was not her day as Russia’s Alina Kasabieva took the gold with a technical superiority victory. Kasabieva first achieved a take down move and then got a two-point throw. There were still desires but once the Russian occupied Sanju’s leg and got the desired grip to execute ‘fitley’, there was no chance for the Indian to upturn.
The match was determined inside the first period. Bhateri also failed to put up a fight and lost the 65kg final by technical superiority to Moldova’s Itina Ringaci. Bhateri’s policy to play a waiting game proved to be a mistake as she hardly counter attacked.
Bipasha (76kg) achieved a silver while Simran (50kg) and Sito (55kg) won bronze medals on Thursday. The Indian women finished with five medals — three silver and two bronze –in the tournament. The men’s freestyle wrestlers had achieved six medals with one silvers and five bronze.
India’s Greco Roman wrestlers, though, yet again wrestled as none of the five in action on Friday could make the semifinals.
