CHENNAI: Both lost the trials held to pick the wrestling squad for the 2026 Asian Games a few months ago. As luck would have it, India drew blank in their respective weight categories at the quadrennial event. Unfazed by the losses, Neelam Sirohi (50kg) and Kajal Dhockak 0(76kg) not only made a spectacular comeback to the national team but are on the verge of creating history by reaching finals of the Senior World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan on Tuesday.
Before Tuesday, Anshu Malik was the only woman wrestler from the country to enter the finals at the Worlds. She finished with a silver medal in the 2021 edition. Overall, only Sushil Kumar, two-time Olympic medallist, had won a gold medal at the World Championships. It happened way back in 2010 in Russia when he defeated the local favourite in the final of the 66kg weight category.
Controversial trials to summit clash
If the loss in the Asiad selection trials was not enough, Neelam faced another hurdle when questions were raised over her Worlds trials bout against Parveen Malik of Haryana. Held a few days ahead of the marquee event, the trials came under scanner after Parveen's camp accused the referee of not awarding points to its wrestler. The Wrestling Federation of India sent the video to the world governing body, United World Wrestling, and found that it was Neelam, who was not awarded two points. It would have been the end of the bout with Neelam winning by technical superiority (10-0).
"The Asiad trials were a setback. She lost to Deepanshi despite leading 6-0. It took some time but she recollected herself and got ready in time for the Worlds trials," Parvesh Rathi, Neelam's coach from the Nazafgarh Stadium, told TNIE. Speaking on the controversy surrounding Worlds trials, the coach said, "Neelam was on her periods during the trials that's why the bout got so close. Anyway, she should have won the bout 10-0 had the referee awarded her two points. But these are things of the past and we are now focusing on the final bout scheduled on Wednesday."
Neelam will be up against Japanese legend and four-time world champion Yui Susaki, who had endured only one loss internationally, which came against India's Vinesh Phogat in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Susaki, the 2020 Tokyo Games gold medallist, finished with a bronze medal in Paris. "She has reached the final beating the best wrestlers in the world and will give her best in the final. It will not be a lopsided affair," added Rathi.
Neelam beat Zeinep Bayanova of Kazakhstan in the semifinal. The Kazakh defeated Deepanshi in the bronze medal bout in Nagoya, Japan. Neelam beat her 7-3 to advanced to the final.
From being crowned Haryana Kesari to boarding flight in a few hours
Meanwhile, Kajal, the reigning U20 world champion in her weight category, will face Anastasiya Alpyeyeva of Ukraine in the final. The Ukrainian recently finished on top of the podium at the European Championships and is a former U23 Worlds gold medallist. Kajal's coach Ajay Malik, however, is confident that his ward will script history on Wednesday. "She will come back with a gold medal," Malik said. Like Neelam, Kajal too defeated an Asian Games bronze medallist. Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan, who beat India's Priya Malik in the qualification bout in Japan. At one point of time, Kajal was trailing 1-7 but she made a stunning comeback to register a 10-7 win to storm into the final.
"We made her compete in dangals being held on mat before the Worlds. She first won a dangal in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh and then became Haryana Kesari by winning the dangal in Palwal. Only a few hours later after being crowned champion in Haryana, she boarded the flight for Astana," the coach informed.
