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Indian wrestler Pinky’s attempt to clinch her maiden World Championship medal failed as she lost 2-5 in the bronze play-off to US’s Jenna Rose Burkert, while other youngsters from the women’s team also struggled here on Tuesday. Burkert did not let Pinky play. In game form the American straightened him with the lock of his arm and head.
Less than a minute later and with 0-5 trailing, Pinky impacted a two-pointer but Burkert did not allow the Indian to make another move.
2020 Asian champion Pinky crashed out of the historic final after losing in a gruesome semi-final to Germany’s Nina Hemmer on Monday.
Pinky was the third Indian to reach the medal round at this edition of the championship, but failed to secure a podium finish after losing to Ravinder (61kg) and Rohit (65kg) in the men’s freestyle bronze medal matches.
Earlier in the day, young Indian wrestlers including the talented Honey Kumari were finding it tough as expected.
Competing in the 50kg category, 18-year-old Haney started with a 9-2 win over Korea’s Miran Cheon, but her challenge in the quarterfinals against Russia’s Nadezhda Sokolova lasted just 35 seconds.
Sokolova took a commanding 6-0 lead in the first 15 seconds of the bout, seriously denting the Indian teenager’s confidence and the bout was over in no time.
In 53kg, Pooja got her wrestling lessons from Japanese prodigy Akari Fujinami, who has not suffered a single defeat in her career so far.
Pooja was not to play any qualification round but lost the pre-quarterfinals due to technical superiority.
Kishori Bhateri failed to score a single point, let alone win a round, as she lost 0-8 to Dinara Kudeva Salikova of Russia.
Kiran (76kg) was the only senior player on the mat for India in the morning session but as usual she fought at a high level.
She started off with a 6–0 win against Kim Choli of Korea, but lost to Adeline Maria Gray of America in the quarterfinals of ‘by fall’.
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