CHENNAI: Once again it was so near yet so far for wrestler Reetika Hooda. More than eight months ago, she had lost her Paris Olympics quarterfinal against Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan. On Thursday, she had an opportunity to avenge the loss as she stormed into the final of 76kg at the Senior Asian Championships in Amman, Jordan thus setting up a rematch with the Kyrgyzstan wrestler. However, once again she ended on the wrong side losing the final 6-7.
On August 10, 2024, Reetika lost 1-1 against Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan at the Grand Palais Ephemere in Champ de Mars. It was a close bout with each of them winning a solitary point through passivity across the two periods. As per the rule, in case of a tied score, a wrestler who earns the last technical point is adjudged winner. Unfortunately it was Reetika's opponent who earned the last point.
Post Olympics, Reetika sustained a neck injury. It only got worse from there as she lost the national championship final against Priya Malik in December last year. Doctors suggested Reetika required treatment and proper rest but she had something else in mind. Aware that the Kyrgyzstan wrestler will compete at the Asian Championships in Amman, Jordan in March, she desperately wanted to be in the India squad for the continental tournament. She sought time from her doctors and took the first step towards her goal by beating Priya in the selection trials held to pick the team for the Asian meet.
"Yes, she wanted to be in the national team for the Asian meet as she wanted to face the Kyrgyzstan wrestler again," Mandeep Singh, Reetika's coach, told this daily. Adding further, Mandeep said, "She told me that Kyzy is in another group and said, 'I will try to reach the final from this group and hope she reaches the summit clash from another group.' The Paris loss is still in her mind and she wants to make up for it," said Mandeep, who is a wrestling coach at the Sir Chhotu Ram Stadium, Rohtak (Haryana).
Earlier, Reetika won two bouts without conceding a point to reach the 76kg final of the Asian Championships on Thursday. In the quarterfinal, she won by technical superiority (10-0) against Seoveon Jeong of Korea before pinning Japanese rival Nodoka Yamamoto (10-0) in the semifinal.
In 2023, Reetika created history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to win a gold at the U23 World Championships. She had won a bronze medal at the 2023 senior Asian Championships. In November last year, she won 76kg gold at the World Military Championships.
Two more bronze for India
Meanwhile, three more Indian women wrestlers reached the bronze medal round on the day. Nishu lost the medal match by fall (4-0) against Otgontuya Bayanmunkh of Mongolia. Nishu lost her qualification bout to Yuxuan Li but the Chinese reached the final, opening the repechage route for the Indian. Another Indian wrestler, Muskan defeated Altjin Togtokh from the same country 4-0 in the 59kg to pocket the bronze.
In the 68kg, Mansi Lather started in a dominant fashion winning her opening bout against Korea's Sheng Feng Cai by technical superiority. She then got a walk over from Japanese Ami Ishii. Mansi lost her semifinal 1-10 to China's Zelu Li. She then defeated Kazakshtan's Irina Kazyulina (12-2) by technical superiority to win the bronze.
Indian wrestlers had already won two bronze in the Greco-Roman style with Nitesh (97kg) and Sunil Kumar (87kg) bagging a medal each.
