Akshay and Vicky strike gold in Freestyle as Indian women eye historic medal rush in Vietnam
New Delhi, May 25
India's freestyle grapplers Akshay T Dhere and Vicky delivered stunning gold medal-winning performances to set the stage for a blockbuster day at the U23 Asian Championships in Da Nang, Vietnam, on Monday.
Akshay set the tone in the 57kg weight class by edging past Kazakhstan's Yelaman Amangeldi with a gritty 4-2 victory to claim the title, according to a press release.
Vicky soon doubled the joy for the Indian camp in the 97kg division, pulling off a thrilling 7-5 win against Uzbekistan's Sherzod Poyonov to secure the top spot on the podium.
In the 53kg final, Muskan controlled the bout against Vietnam's Thi My Linh Nguyen, registering a comfortable 6-2 win to clinch the title. Tapsya was even more dominant in the 57kg category, securing her gold medal with a victory by fall over Kazakhstan's Altyn Shagayeva while leading 4-0.
"Winning two freestyle golds on the continental stage is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the tactical brilliance of Akshay and Vicky. They fought with immense heart today. I am equally thrilled for our women wrestlers who have shown incredible resilience to reach so many finals. This dominant showing proves that the future of Indian wrestling is in very safe hands, and I congratulate the entire squad for bringing such immense pride to the nation," said Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Sanjay Singh.
Bhagyashree H. Fand added another gold to India's tally in the 62kg division, blanking Kyrgyzstan's Tynys Dubek 4-0 in her title clash.
Pulkit (65kg) added to India's gold rush with 4-0 and 4-1 wins over Kyrgyzstan's Tynys Dubek and Mongolia's Narkhajid Nyamsuren, respectively, while Amruta Shashikant Pujari took home the silver in the 72kg division after a narrow 2-4 defeat to Mongolia's Odgerel Edene Ochir.
— ANI
Reader Comments
So happy to see the women's team doing so well. Tapsya winning by fall while leading 4-0 is just superb. The U23 level performances are especially encouraging – it shows the depth we are building. Just hope the federation continues to support these athletes properly, the infrastructure needs improvement.
Brilliant performances! But let's not get carried away – U23 Asian Championships is a good level, but the real test will be at senior Worlds and Olympics. That said, the progress is undeniable. Akshay's 4-2 win in 57kg shows he can handle pressure. Hope they build on this momentum.
Waah! What a medal rush! 7 golds is incredible. 🥇🥇🥇 The women's team especially – Pulkit winning two bouts back-to-back, and Bhagyashree with a clean 4-0 shutout. This is the kind of domination we need to see regularly. Kuddos to all the wrestlers and coaches.
Great to see this, but the real credit must go to the wrestlers themselves, not just the WFI president patting himself on the back. Remember the turmoil the federation has been through. The athletes have kept focused despite all the politics. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
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