Priya makes history as U20 World Wrestling Champion at World Championships
In a phenomenal exhibition of aptitude, India's junior wrestling team acquired a phenomenal victory at the World Championships.
Priya, showing great stability despite a scratch above her left eye, assured her standing as the U20 world champion, evolving as the second Indian woman wrestler to accomplish this feat.
She overpowered Germany's Laura Celive Kuehn with her lightning-fast leg invasions, locking down her adversary's scoring tries completely in the gold medal bout. Although the match had to be stopped twice due to Priya's bleeding, she appeared triumphant with a 5-0 success.
Antim Panghal, who had earlier determined the junior world champion title, resumed her rise with yet another remarkable performance. Panghal, whose difficult plea against Vinesh Phogat for the Asian Games trials had garnered concentration, powered through three bouts with unpaired relief to ensure her place in the 53kg final.
Her expedition to the final was led by dominance, involving a quick 68-second win against Poland's Nikola Monika Wisniewska and a technical supremacy win over China’s Xuejing Liang.
Historic moment for India at Junior World Championships
The Junior World Championships glimpsed historic attainment for India as four women wrestlers attained the gold medal bouts for the first time. Savita (62kg) and Antim Kundu (65kg) cohered the ranks of unbeaten Indian wrestlers on Thursday (August 17).
Savita, who bore the title of U17 World Champion, dispatched an amazing performance, besting all three of her bouts by a drop, including a memorable victory against the challenging Japanese wrestler Suzu Sasaki. Antim Kundu displayed incredible power, defeating her enemies to secure a place in the gold medal bout in the 65kg category.
Despite a favorable start, Harshita's voyage to the gold medal contention in the 72kg category was ceased by a pin from Turkey's Bukrenaz Sert. Nevertheless, she stays in contention for a bronze medal.
Another wrestler, Reena, encountered an early setback in the 57kg category, yielding to Ukraine's Alina Filipovych in the onset round. However, a chance for rescue in the repechage route remains open as Alina progresses to the final.
If Panghal turns out the winner in her forthcoming match of the World Championships, she will bring her name in history as the first woman wrestler to succeed in two world titles, additionally affirming India's hold in the sport.