India’s wrestling medal hopes at the Paris Olympics hit a major blow when Antim Ege lost 0-10 to Turkey during Jegier Zenep Women’s 53kg contest on Wednesday; this is yet another shocking news after India’s Vinesh Fugat Disqualification due to excessive weight.
Panjal recently qualified for the Olympics in an event previously dominated by Vinesh but was defeated within only 101 seconds in the first round.
The competition is based on “Technical Advantages”, where Zeynep beat Pongal with a clear ten points. The Turkish wrestler was dominant throughout and quickly racked up points against her Indian opponent.
Zenep began by forcing down Pongal for two points, and then got two more. She later completed this maneuver twice which gave her four more points, before finishing it off by scoring two more. Referees stopped the match and Pongal wept.
Despite being crushed into defeat, Pangal still has a slim chance of competing for a medal. If Zeynep makes it to the finals, Panjal will have a chance to fight back through repêchage matches.
Pangal not winning is quite a blow for Indian wrestling as she is believed to be one of the top contenders in the sport in India.
