Bishkek Ranking Series: Manisha wins gold as women wrestlers bag 3 medals

BISHKEK: Asian championships bronze medallist Manisha bagged India's first gold medal in the women's 65 kg category at the C in Kyrgyzstan on Saturday.

Reetika, who also won bronze at the Asian championships, finished second in the women's 72kg event, while previous Asian champion and 2021 world championship bronze medalist Sarita Mor finished third in the women's 59kg.

The three medals won by Indian women wrestlers brought India's total in the ongoing Ranking Series to four. Manjeet (55kg) won bronze in Greco-Roman wrestling on Thursday.

Manisha began her campaign in the Nordic round system with a win over Irina Kazyulina of Kazakhstan by technical advantage (15-4) and went unbeaten in her four matches. Irina Kazyulina eventually won silver.

Manisha next blanked another Kazakh wrestler, Gaukhar Mukatay, by technical dominance (11-0), before defeating Mongolian Purevsuren Ulziisaikhan (10-0) to establish herself as the clear favourite.

Manisha defeated eventual bronze medalist Yuliia Leskovets of Ukraine 6-2 in her last match. Only three wrestlers competed in the women's 72kg Nordic round system, including Reetika.

Reetika defeated Italy's Dalma Caneva 7-0 before falling to Kazakhstan's Zhamila Bakbergenova 4-0 to take silver. Sarita Mor won bronze after outlasting Kazakhstan's Diana Kayumova 11-0 due to technical superiority. She lost 5-4 to Ukraine's Solomiia Vynnyk in the semi-finals after defeating Kayumova 7-0 and Turkey's Ebru Dagbasi 4-0 to reach the last four.

The other five Indian wrestlers competing on the day did not progress to the medal rounds. On Friday, India also failed to win a medal. Sajan (77kg) and Vikas (72kg), both Greco-Roman wrestlers, advanced to the medal round but lost their fights. Indian men's freestyle wrestlers, including Olympic silver medallist Ravi Kumar Dahiya, will be in action on Sunday.