New Delhi: It was a disappointing day for Indian female freestyle wrestlers as Vinesh, Navjot Kaur and Babita Kumari, the three JSW-supported wrestlers exited the 2015 World Wrestling Championships on Wednesday night in Las Vegas. While Vinesh and Navjot lost in the round of 32, Babita reached the quarter-finals before bowing out.
In the 48 kg division, Vinesh was up against Hyong Guong Kim of North Korea. The North Korean, who won the bronze medal at the 2014 World Wrestling Championship, got off to a quick start, pinning Vinesh with a tight ankle-lock. Flipping the Indian wrestler three times, Kim picked up six points inside the first 30 seconds of the first period and added another couple with a speedy takedown. The 21-year-old Vinesh seemed to have been caught by surprise but recovered in admirable fashion, going on the offensive, trying to make up the deficit. Though Vinesh picked up four quick points, the North Korean's tight defence ensured that she kept the aggressive Indian at bay and moved into the next round.
Vinesh said that the speed with which her opponent got off the blocks seemed to surprise her. "I did not really expect to start off so quickly. I thought she would take her time. I knew she was a tough opponent. I was confident of winning points against her but after conceding 8 in the first minute, I was just a little tentative," she said.
In the 69 kg category, Navjot Kaur was pitted against Ukraine's Alina Stadnik. The Ukrainian is the reigning European champion in the 69 kg class and had won the gold at the 2013 World Championships in the 67 kg class. Navjot seemed to be uncomfortable as the Ukrainian mounted attack after attack. Stadnik lead 6-0 at the end of the first period and added a couple more in the second, closing out the bout in emphatic fashion.
25-year-old Babita Kumari endured heartbreak after having effected a stunning run through the 53-kg class. She defeated Aide Cuero Munoz of Colombia 17-4 to book a place in the round of 32 where she dismissed Spain's Karima Sanchez 9-0. Babita continued her charge, brushing past Germany's Nina Hemmer in the round-of-16, utilising quick attacks and well-executed take-downs to win 13-6, before running into Xuechun Zhong of China in the quarters. Zhong, who had beaten Babita in the bronze medal bout at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, once again got the better of the Indian, winning 6-2 and bringing Babita's World Championship journey to an end.
Babita, the 2012 World Championship bronze medallist, said that she was extremely disappointed after having secured a string of good results on Wednesday."The way I started, my confidence was really high. I was executing my plans well, sticking to the tactics that I had in mind for my opponents. Things did not really go the way I wanted them to against Zhong. She is a good wrestler but I was confident of taking points off her, putting her under pressure and progressing but unfortunately it just did not work today," she said.