New Delhi, May 24 (IANS) India’s stellar run continued at the U23 Asian Championships as Mansi Lather, Kajal, and Sumit clinched gold medals to headline a dominant showing on the second day of the competition at the Tien Son Sport Center in Da Nang, Vietnam, on Sunday.

Mansi put up a dominant display in the 68kg gold medal bout, registering a comprehensive 14-1 win over Uzbekistan’s Firuza Esenbaeva. Kajal was equally impressive in the 76kg final, blanking Kyrgyzstan’s Aizharkyn Zhanybekova 10-0, while Greco-Roman grappler Sumit secured the 63kg title with a 12-2 victory over Uzbekistan’s Ozodbek Khalilboev.

Alongside the three gold medals, the Indian contingent also secured two silver and three bronze medals. Sweety fought hard in her final but narrowly went down 5-7 against Vietnam’s Ngoc L. Do to settle for the silver medal. Neha also put up a spirited fight in the 59kg title clash before suffering a 9-5 defeat at the hands of Uzbekistan’s Laylokhon Sobirova, bringing home India’s second silver of the day.

“Our young wrestlers have done us exceptionally proud today with their phenomenal performances on the mat. Winning gold and adding so many medals at a prestigious continental event shows the depth, determination, and discipline of Indian wrestling. I extend my heartiest congratulations to Mansi, Kajal, Sumit, Sweety, Neha, Ahilya, Neeraj, and Rohit for their medals. Their hard work has paid off, and I hope the rest of the team continues this positive momentum in the upcoming bouts,” said Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Sanjay Singh.

Meanwhile, Ahilya S. Shinde was impressive in her bronze medal playoff, securing a comprehensive 13-2 win over Kyrgyzstan’s Arruke Kadyrbek Kyzy. In the Greco-Roman category that carried over from the opening day, Neeraj Patel showcased brilliant technique in his 55kg match, blanking Kazakhstan’s Rauan Bekimov 8-0 to comfortably claim the bronze medal.

Adding to the tally, Rohit Bura delivered a commanding performance in his 87kg bronze medal bout, defeating Kyrgyzstan’s Artykbek Alymbek Uulu with a clinical 9-0 victory to finish on the podium.

–IANS

hs/