New Delhi, May 25 (IANS) India’s freestyle grapplers Akshay T Dhere and Vicky delivered stunning gold medal-winning performances to set the stage for a blockbuster day at the U23 Asian Championships in Da Nang, Vietnam, on Monday.

Akshay set the tone in the 57kg weight class by edging past Kazakhstan’s Yelaman Amangeldi with a gritty 4-2 victory to claim the title.

Vicky soon doubled the joy for the Indian camp in the 97kg division, pulling off a thrilling 7-5 win against Uzbekistan’s Sherzod Poyonov to secure the top spot on the podium. In the 53kg final, Muskan controlled the bout against Vietnam’s Thi My Linh Nguyen, registering a comfortable 6-2 win to clinch the title. Tapsya was even more dominant in the 57kg category, securing her gold medal with a victory by fall over Kazakhstan’s Altyn Shagayeva while leading 4-0.

“Winning two freestyle golds on the continental stage is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the tactical brilliance of Akshay and Vicky. They fought with immense heart today. I am equally thrilled for our women wrestlers who have shown incredible resilience to reach so many finals. This dominant showing proves that the future of Indian wrestling is in very safe hands, and I congratulate the entire squad for bringing such immense pride to the nation.” said Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Sanjay Singh

Bhagyashree H. Fand added another gold to India’s tally in the 62kg division, blanking Kyrgyzstan’s Tynys Dubek 4-0 in her title clash, Pulkit (65kg) added to India’s gold rush with 4-0 and 4-1 wins over Kyrgyzstan’s Tynys Dubek and Mongolia’s Narkhajid Nyamsuren respectively, while Amruta Shashikant Pujari took home the silver in the 72kg division after a narrow 2-4 defeat to Mongolia’s Odgerel Edene Ochir.

Earlier on Sunday, Mansi Lather, Kajal, and Sumit clinched gold medals to headline a dominant showing on the second day of the competition.

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.

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/