Astana, Oct 28 Indian wrestler Neelam Sirohi settled for a silver medal after losing to Japanese legend Yui Susaki in the women’s 50kg final at the World Wrestling Championships here on Wednesday, joining Anshu Malik as the only Indian women to win silver at the global showpiece.
Susaki, who did not concede a single point in her triumphant run, pinned 26-year-old Neelam just before the end of the first period to win her fifth World title.
Susaki, the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist, is one of the most decorated wrestlers in the sport.
Her defeat to India’s Vinesh Phogat at the Paris Olympics in 2024 was a rare setback in an otherwise dominant career.
Neelam’s achievement marked a significant milestone for Indian women’s wrestling.
Anshu had won silver in the 57kg category at the 2021 World Championships in Oslo.
Neelam had stormed into the final with a 7-3 victory over Kazakhstan’s Zeinep Bayanova in the semifinals, making her one of two Indian women to reach the gold medal bouts at the same edition for the first time.
Two-time U20 world champion Kajal Dhochak also made the final in the 76kg category and is vying to become the first Indian woman to win a world title later in the day.
(PTI News)
