CHENNAI: Both Indian judokas — Jasleen Singh Saini and L Sushila Devi — lost their respective opening bouts at the World Judo Championships in Budapest (Hungary), but the latter is expected to grab the continental quota and make an Olympic cut based on superior ranking points. An official announcement in this regard will be made on June 28.
"I can't express how happy I am (for making the provisional Olympic cut). It was very difficult because of the Covid-19 pandemic. I always worked hard no matter which tournament I was competing in but, this time, I put in extra efforts to ensure I represent the country in the Olympics," Shushila, who's currently seventh in the Asian ranking, told this daily from Budapest. The top-10 are eligible for continental quota. Only one judoka from a country can earn a continental berth.
She lost to Vargas Ley Mary Dee of Chile in the opening round in Pool A of -48kg on Sunday. Jasleen (-66kg) had to win the first bout in Pool B to edge past Shushila on Monday but he lost in the golden score against Izvoreanu Radu of Maldova.
Just participating in this marquee event helped these judokas earn 20 points each. A win in the first round guarantees a judoka 200 points. Shushila, with 989 points, was leading Jasleen by 69 points going into the tournament. The loss in the opening round for both the judokas meant Shushila still maintains the lead.
The 26-year-old Manipuri had stayed back in the national capital after the Indian team returned from Kyrgyzstan in April. "I was determined to do well in the Asian Championships in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) but couldn't compete as some of our judokas tested Covid positive. But I kept my preparations on by staying at my brother's place in Delhi. We used to train there with limited resources," added Shushila.
The Indian team had to withdraw from the Asia-Oceania Championships as three judokas had tested Covid positive there. It was a big setback especially for those team members, who had a chance of booking an Olympic slot.
Meanwhile, sports minister Kiren Rijiju also congratulated Shushila on qualifying for the Games. "I congratulate Judoka #SushilaDevi for qualifying for #Tokyo2020 in the women’s 48 kg through the continental quota. Our athletes are putting their best efforts to ensure glory for India," Rijiju posted on Twitter.
France tour
The three-member Indian team, also comprising head coach Jiwan Sharma, will now head to France for a month-long preparation camp. "We now will leave for France tomorrow (Tuesday). We will train there for a month and return to the country on July 9," added Shushila. The Judo Federation of India (JFI) had submitted the plan to the Sports Authority of India before leaving the country for the World Championships.