What’s the story?
The NCR Punjab Royals clinched a narrow 4-3 victory against the Mumbai Maharathi on day four of the ongoing season of the Pro Wrestling League. After their Nigerian star Odunayo Adekuoroye was blocked after the toss, the Royals relied on three-time senior national champion Nirmala Devi to get them the win.
After their opening defeat to the Jaipur Ninjas, the Punjab side dug deep and clinched the win despite losing the toss prior to the fixture. “I was confident about my chances before the match and had studied my opponent before going in. I tried to keep myself away from the pressure and I’m glad I could contribute to my team’s victory at the end of the day,” said Devi in the post-match press conference.
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With her side leading 2-1 in the overall scoreline, Devi, who won silver at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, needed to pull her weight against a strong opponent in the form of Carolina Castillo Hidalgo, who had finished eighth at the recent Rio Olympics.
Also read: Babita Kumari suffers shocking 46-second loss in PWL
Devi was a part of the Haryana Hammers in the previous season of the PWL and used all her experience to down her 26-year old opponent. She defended impeccably, chose the right moments to attack and made use of her height advantage to claim a three-point victory.
The heart of the matter
The match started in tense fashion as both grapplers looked for chinks in the other’s armour. Devi opened the scoring after her South American opponent was penalised for passivity midway through the first round. She soon made it 3-0 with a fine reversal to an attack on her right ankle by Hidalgo.
The Indian was flawless in defence during a scoreless second round, as she fended off and countered one attack after the other.
What next?
The next bout was won by the Royals’ Azerbaijani import Togrul Asgarov in the 65 kg category clash, giving them an unassailable 4-1 lead. They now move to third in the table with one loss and one victory so far.
Mumbai won the last two bouts to reduce the scoreline to a respectable 4-3 margin but they have now lost both their encounters so far and will now take on the Jaipur Ninjas on Monday.
Sportskeeda’s Take
It was heartening to see an Indian wrestler outmanoeuvre a formidable opponent with such finesse. Devi showed great resolve to keep a clean sheet, especially in the second round, as she survived multiple attacks, especially on her right ankle.
The Maharathi now have their task cut out for them after two losses in their first two games. Despite boasting a strong squad consisting of a gold medalist from Rio in the form of Erica Wiebe, they are yet to register a win in the competition.
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