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Asian Games: Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat bags historic gold
Vinesh Phogat defeats Japan’s Yuki Irie in the 50 kilogram women’s freestyle final.
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Vinesh Phogat poses with Indian flag after defeating Japan’s Yuki Irie in the 50 kilogram women’s freestyle final at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. (Twitter/-)
V
inesh Phogat on Monday became the first woman wrestler from India to win a gold in the Asian Games. She defeated Japan’s Yuki Irie in the 50 kilogram women’s freestyle final played in Jakarta.
This was India’s second gold after wrestler Bajrang Punia bagged the yellow metal in men’s 65 kg category on Sunday. India is now on the seventh spot in the Asian Games medal tally with two golds, two silvers and one bronze.
Phogat completely dominated the contest. After taking a 4-0 lead initially, she finished the game 6-2.
The Indian has earlier beaten Irie in the Asian Championships semifinal earlier this year. On Monday, she started cautiously before pinning the Japanese opponent down to take four quick points.
Phogat displayed some great defence as she held on to her 4-0 lead at the end of the first three minutes.
Her defence was deemed too passive by the referee and Vinesh had to concede one point, which reduced the deficit to 4-1 with 30 seconds to go.
However, the 2014 Incheon Asiad bronze medallist soon pocketed two more points and finally clinched the gold.
In her semi-final encounter against Daulatbike Yakshimuratova of Uzbekistan, Phogat hardly broke a sweat as she won in mere 75 seconds by technical superiority (10-0).
Earlier, the Indian grappler had registered a comfortable 11-0 win over Kim Hyung-joo of South Korea in the quarterfinals, prior to which she had defeated China’s Sun Yanan 8-2 by technical superiority in the 1/8 finals.
