Haryana Dominates Women's Competition at Senior National Wrestling, Securing Seven Gold Medals

Bengaluru, Dec 8 (NationPress) It was a remarkable day for Haryana at the Senior National Wrestling Championships 2024 as they secured an astounding seven gold medals in the women’s division on the last day of the tournament held at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday.

After previously excelling in the men’s freestyle category, Haryana elevated their performance in the women’s section by claiming eight out of the ten golds available, finishing with a commanding total of 235 points to lead the standings decisively.

Among the standout performers from Haryana was Radhika (68kg), who had secured a silver medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships earlier this year in April. After receiving a bye in the opening round, she commenced her journey with a dominant victory by superiority (VSU) over Anjali Karos from Madhya Pradesh, and continued with the same result against Sonika Kumar from Himachal Pradesh in the quarterfinals.

The 23-year-old, who represented India at the Asian Games 2023, attained a straightforward victory against Leena Anthony from Karnataka in the semifinal, bringing her within one bout of the gold medal. Radhika showcased such impressive form that she did not concede a single point until the final, where she triumphed over Srishti from Delhi to claim the title in the 68kg category.

Reflecting on her exceptional performance, Radhika stated, “I felt confident coming into this competition, and I’m thrilled to have secured the gold. The final match was the most demanding, but the level of competition was exceptionally high. My coach always emphasizes that no matter what, you must return with the gold.”

Having demonstrated significant potential at the junior levels, Radhika now has her eyes set on the 2026 Asian Games as her primary goal. “I faced health challenges before my matches at the Asian Games and couldn’t perform at my best, but I understand that continuous improvement is essential for success at that level. My focus is on the 2026 Asian Games, and I aspire to bring back a gold medal for India,” she elaborated.

In other notable results, Jyoti emerged victorious in the 53kg final against Kavita M from Rajasthan, while Meenakshi achieved a smooth win over Jyoti from SSCB in the 55kg final. Tapasya (57kg) and Anjali (59kg) further contributed to Haryana’s gold count by defeating Aashlesha from Maharashtra and Tanu from Punjab respectively. The victories continued as Manisha fought valiantly to secure the 65kg title against Monika from Rajasthan, and Priya (76kg) blanked Reetika from SSCB to claim top honors.

Women's wrestling results:

50kg: Shivani Pawar (MP) defeated Vinita (HAR); 12-4

53kg: Jyoti (HAR) defeated Kavita M (RAJ); 12-1

55kg: Meenakshi (HAR) defeated Jyoti (SSCB); 11-1

57kg: Tapasya (HAR) defeated Aashlesha (Mah); 10-0

59kg: Anjali (HAR) defeated Tanu (PUN); 10-0

62kg: Bhagyashree (MAH) defeated Khushi Thakur (HP); 10-0

65kg: Manisha (HAR) defeated Monika (RAJ); 8-4

68kg: Radhika (HAR) defeated Srishti (DEL); 7-1

72kg: Priyanka (HAR) defeated Laxmi Pandey (UP); 4-0

76kg: Priya (HAR) defeated Reetika (SSCB); 10-0

Overall rankings (Women's)

1.⁠ ⁠Haryana 235 points

2.⁠ ⁠Maharashtra 150 points

3.⁠ ⁠Delhi 106 points