World Wrestling C'ships: India script history as Neelam, Kajal settle for silver

Kajal Dhochak and Neelam Sirohi

NEW DELHI: With 30 seconds left and the scores locked at 4-4, Kajal Dhochak stood on the brink of a golden finish. The 18-year-old Indian had fought her way back into contention, but just when victory appeared within reach, Ukraine’s Anastasiya Alpyeyeva struck decisively.

Kajal’s spirited resistance ended in an agonising 6-8 defeat in the women’s 76kg final at the World Wrestling Championships in Astana on Wednesday.The heartbreak, however, could not overshadow a landmark day for Indian wrestling. Kajal and Neelam Sirohi claimed silver medals, becoming the first Indian women to reach the finals of the same edition of the senior Worlds.

Kajal, competing at the senior Worlds for the first time, began the final on the back foot, trailing 1-3 after the opening three-minute period.

She regrouped impressively in the second half, clawing her way back to level the contest at 4-4.With the bout finely poised, Alpyeyeva, a two-time European champion, executed a crucial move and exposure angle to establish an 8-4 advantage. Kajal managed a late takedown, but the deficit proved insurmountable.The silver capped an impressive campaign for the teenager, a two-time under-20 world champion, who had produced a stunning 10-7 comeback victory over Kyrgyzstan’s Aiperi Medet Kyzy after trailing 1-7 in the semifinals.

Earlier, Neelam faced arguably the toughest examination of her career against Japan’s Yui Susaki, one of freestyle wrestling’s most accomplished champions, in the women’s 50kg final.The 26-year-old Indian, who had defeated Kazakhstan’s Zeinep Bayanova 7-3 to reach the title clash, encountered an opponent operating at an extraordinary level. Susaki established a 5-0 lead before pinning Neelam towards the end of the opening period, sealing another world title without conceding a point throughout her tournament campaign.

The victory secured Susaki’s fifth World Championships crown. The Japanese star had previously won gold once in the 48kg category and three times at 50kg, underlining her sustained dominance.For Neelam, the silver was a significant breakthrough after missing out on an Asian Games selection spot earlier this year.Until now, Anshu Malik’s silver in the 57kg category at the 2021 Worlds in Oslo had stood alone as an Indian woman’s runner-up finish at the senior championships.Neelam and Kajal have now changed that narrative, delivering an impressive double-silver finish to strengthen the nation's growing presence in women’s wrestling.