Asian Games: Vinesh Phogat continued her strong comeback in competitive wrestling by securing a spot in the women's 53kg semifinals at the Asian Games selection trials in New Delhi on Saturday. She narrowly defeated Nishu 7-6 in a tough quarterfinal, just hours after starting her campaign with a win.
Earlier, the accomplished wrestler defeated Jyoti 7-1 in her first match, marking a successful return after a turbulent 48 hours that involved both the Supreme Court and the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) intervening over her participation in the trials.
Competing in her preferred 53kg category after the WFI changed its earlier ruling that limited her to 50kg, Vinesh initially showed some rust against Jyoti but gradually found her rhythm. She gained the first point with a push-out and looked to control the match through standing wrestling. The bout shifted at the start of the second period when Vinesh was put on the activity clock, prompting her to speed up the pace.
