PARIS: Indian girls wrestlers have made waves within the decrease weight classes for years, with the likes of the Phogat sisters and Sakshi Malik making their mark. There are only a few who compete within the heavyweight division and make the heads flip. Reetika Hooda, the 22-year-old from Rohtak, is one from the uncommon breed.
Reetika has adopted within the footsteps of Kiran Bishnoi, who gained bronze on the Asian Video games in Hangzhou in 2022.Reetika is seen as a pioneer in girls’s wrestling within the nation as she is the primary Indian feminine wrestler to qualify for the Olympics within the heavyweight class. She additionally grew to become the primary Indian feminine U-23 world wrestling champion within the 76kg class after beating Kennedy Blades (USA) within the last final 12 months.
Reetika’s journey within the Video games ended on Saturday as Aiperi Medet of Kyrgyzstan, who had crushed Reetika within the quarterfinal, misplaced to Kennedy Blades of USA within the semis. If Medet had reached the ultimate, Reetika would have had a shot on the bronze medal on Sunday by way of the repechage spherical. Nonetheless, Reetika confirmed why she is rated so excessive.
She met Hungary’s Nagy Bernadett first, within the spherical of 16, and gained it with ease. Reetika took a while to evaluate her opponent, the 2022 European champion on this weight class, and went into the assault straight away. She was up 4-Zero within the first interval. She conceded two factors then, the one time she appeared a bit of susceptible. After that the factors stored coming in India’s nook. 6-2, 10-2, 12-2.
With 29 seconds to go, the referee stopped the competition. The following one, the quarterfinal, was critically powerful. The draw had not been form to her. She was up towards the highest seed right here. She fought laborious, with a number of braveness and even took the lead however conceded that attributable to passive play. The Kyrgyz woman gained on countback.
Reetika was cautious when all of it started. She had determined to be defensive and never give a gap to her rival. Within the preliminary minutes, Medet went for a harmful double-leg assault. Reetika was susceptible however she held agency, utilizing all her would possibly to maintain a agency grip on her rival. On the three-minute break the impasse had not been damaged.
Medet was ready for a gap, having realised that Reetika was holding agency. The referee stored telling each to assault. Quickly, Reetika gained her level. Medet was penalised for passivity. This was the time when Reetika may have in all probability attacked extra. She performed secure, not desirous to let her guard down and was penalised for passivity. 1-1. Medet was forward on countback.
Within the final minute, Reetika tried to push Medet out of the ring to get that one essential level. The Kyrgyz managed to show round on the edge. The prospect was gone. The upset the Indians had hoped for didn’t occur. The Indian girls’s nationwide coach Virender Singh Dahiya was upset at the way it had turned out.
“She in all probability had been advised that she needs to be cautious as she was up towards the highest seed. You do not win by defending towards such a wrestler. Reetika was so good. She didn’t depart the grip, didn’t give her rival any room to assault. However after having gained the purpose, she ought to have attacked,” he stated.
Reetika has adopted within the footsteps of Kiran Bishnoi, who gained bronze on the Asian Video games in Hangzhou in 2022.Reetika is seen as a pioneer in girls’s wrestling within the nation as she is the primary Indian feminine wrestler to qualify for the Olympics within the heavyweight class. She additionally grew to become the primary Indian feminine U-23 world wrestling champion within the 76kg class after beating Kennedy Blades (USA) within the last final 12 months.
Reetika’s journey within the Video games ended on Saturday as Aiperi Medet of Kyrgyzstan, who had crushed Reetika within the quarterfinal, misplaced to Kennedy Blades of USA within the semis. If Medet had reached the ultimate, Reetika would have had a shot on the bronze medal on Sunday by way of the repechage spherical. Nonetheless, Reetika confirmed why she is rated so excessive.
She met Hungary’s Nagy Bernadett first, within the spherical of 16, and gained it with ease. Reetika took a while to evaluate her opponent, the 2022 European champion on this weight class, and went into the assault straight away. She was up 4-Zero within the first interval. She conceded two factors then, the one time she appeared a bit of susceptible. After that the factors stored coming in India’s nook. 6-2, 10-2, 12-2.
With 29 seconds to go, the referee stopped the competition. The following one, the quarterfinal, was critically powerful. The draw had not been form to her. She was up towards the highest seed right here. She fought laborious, with a number of braveness and even took the lead however conceded that attributable to passive play. The Kyrgyz woman gained on countback.
Reetika was cautious when all of it started. She had determined to be defensive and never give a gap to her rival. Within the preliminary minutes, Medet went for a harmful double-leg assault. Reetika was susceptible however she held agency, utilizing all her would possibly to maintain a agency grip on her rival. On the three-minute break the impasse had not been damaged.
Medet was ready for a gap, having realised that Reetika was holding agency. The referee stored telling each to assault. Quickly, Reetika gained her level. Medet was penalised for passivity. This was the time when Reetika may have in all probability attacked extra. She performed secure, not desirous to let her guard down and was penalised for passivity. 1-1. Medet was forward on countback.
Within the final minute, Reetika tried to push Medet out of the ring to get that one essential level. The Kyrgyz managed to show round on the edge. The prospect was gone. The upset the Indians had hoped for didn’t occur. The Indian girls’s nationwide coach Virender Singh Dahiya was upset at the way it had turned out.
“She in all probability had been advised that she needs to be cautious as she was up towards the highest seed. You do not win by defending towards such a wrestler. Reetika was so good. She didn’t depart the grip, didn’t give her rival any room to assault. However after having gained the purpose, she ought to have attacked,” he stated.
