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A sport in which Indian athletes are technically at par with the best in the world and have a strong medal chance, the Wrestling events at the 2016 Olympics in Rio are just a couple of days away.
An 8 athlete strong wrestling contingent from India is in Rio with real hopes of bagging atleast a couple of medals.
India enjoy a decent record at Olympic in Wrestling with 3 medals in the last 2 editions. While Sushil Kumar won Bronze at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, he bettered his performance, winning Silver at London in 2012. Yogeshwar Dutt too added one to his kitty in the 2012 edition, bagging a Bronze.
To go with them, we have a three-member strong female contingent going into the Olympics, the first time that the country has more than one female wrestler going to the Games.
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Indian women have had a decent showing at the international stage but have failed to win a medal yet at the Olympics. The trio of Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Babita Kumari are out to win that elusive Olympic medal in women’s wrestling and create history.
Here is a look at the three and their medal chances:
Vinesh Phogat
The ever impressive 21-year-old is like a lioness everytime she steps on the mat as she strikes with venom and precision. Vinesh would be India’s representative in the 48-kg category and the country’s biggest medal bet in women’s wrestling.
She missed the Olympic berth when she was deemed overweight by 400g in the first World Qualification even, but the fighter that she is, she came back in brilliant fashion, qualifying for Rio with a Gold Medal at the 2nd World Qualification event, rolling past 2014 World Championships silver medalist Iwona Matkowska on route to sealing an Olympic berth.
The JSW Sports Excellence Program backed athlete has been on the rise ever since 2014 where she won the Gold at the Commonwealth Games, getting past England’s Yana Rattigan. She then went on to claim the Asian Games Bronze in the same year at Incheon.
She then bagged the missing silver in her kitty, winning it at the Asian Wrestling Championships in Doha, Qatar.
Late last year, Vinesh was one of the hottest prospects in the Pro Wrestling League where she went undefeated, winning the majority of her bouts on technical superiority. She then kept her fine run going and outsmarted every opponent in the Nationals at Delhi.
Vinesh is making her maiden Olympic appearance, but is more than capable of making up for it with her confidence and positive attitude.
Sakshi Malik
Sakshi Malik will be participating in the 58 kg category in women’s wrestling at Rio 2016 and is definitely the dark horse of the pack. Sakshi, like Vinesh, made her way into the Olympics through the 2nd qualification event, winning Silver at the event in Istanbul, Turkey.
Malik won a Commonwealth Games Silver in 2014 and backed it with a Bronze at the Asian Championships in 2015.
Following a decent outing, the JSW Sports Excellence Program grappler headed into the Pro Wrestling League with eventual winners Mumbai. In the first game itself, she came out of the shadow of her senior and star player Geeta Phogat as she got the better of her.
All eyes would now be on her to see how far she can go at the 2016 Olympics.
Babita Kumari
The most experienced of the women wrestlers from India in action, Babita will have a lot resting on her shoulders but she would need to pull a rabbit out of her hat if she is to seal a podium finish at Rio.
Supported by the JSW Sports Excellence Program, Babita made it to the Olympics in what is a story in itself.
She became the 1st Indian woman to qualify through the Asian Olympic Qualifier event in Astana, Kazakhstan, following the suspension of Mongolian wrestler Sumiya Erdenechimeg for failing a dope test. But, her spot was in doubt for forefeiting her bout in the 1st Asian Olympic qualifier, when she pulled out so she could focus on the 2nd qualifier event. She was let off with a warning for this offense.
Sumiya had originally beaten Babita to the qualification but had tested positive, only to see the decision being reversed lately which put Babita’s spot in some doubt. However, Babita’s spot was confirmed, allowing her to breath a sigh of relief.
But having finally made it after a topsy-turvy ride, Babita would be itching to make it count. A Silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, a Bronze medal at the 2012 World Wrestling Championships and Gold medal in the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Babita was on the rise and was touted as one of the best female Indian wrestlers going around.
Babita then had a mixed bag in Pro Wrestling League but what earned her plaudits was her never say die attitude. She came back from extreme situations on more than one occasion and showcased why she was a wrestler to be taken very seriously. Babita is carrying a lot of hopes with her at Rio and is one of the country’s biggest hopes for a medal.
