Sakshi, Divya, Mansi bag gold medals in Kazakhstan

Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik (62 Kg) and Commonwealth Games and Asian Games medallist Divya Kakran bagged gold medals as India claimed three gold and a bronze in the Bolat Turlykhanov Cup wrestling championship, the 2nd Ranking Series event currently on in Almaty, Kazakhstan on Friday.

Mansi bagged the other gold for India in the women's 57kg wrestling while Pooja claimed the bronze medal in the 76 kg category on the second day of the competition. Earlier on the opening day, Indian wrestler Neeraj won the 63kg Greco Roman bronze medal on Thursday.

Sakshi, who won a bronze medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics in 58 kg, defeated the experienced Irina Kuznetsova of Kazakhstan by fall (VFA) 7-4. Sakshi had made it to the semifinals by beating Tserenchimed Sukhee of Mongolia. She had started her campaign by beating Irina Kuznetsova by Superiority (Technical Fall) after taking a 10-0 lead.

Divya Kakran bagged the gold medal after finishing ahead of Bolortungalag Zorigi of Mongolia in the 68kg group which was reduced to three participants (two Mongolians) after Albina Kairgelodinova of Kazakhstan pulled out.

Mansi also won gold for India when she defeated Emma Tissinga of Kazakhstan 3-0 on points in the final. She had defeated another Kazakhstan wrestler Laura Almaganbetova in the semifinals.

In the women's 76kg, India's Pooja defeated Zagardulam Naigalsuren of Mongolia in the bronze medal match, winning by fall.

The superb performance on the Day 2 put India on top in the team rankings with 90 points with hosts Kazakhstan second with 64 while Mongolia are third with 45 points in the event in which wrestlers from seven countries are participating in the women's section. IANS

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