Two Indian Women Wrestlers Reach Finals in Astana for First Time

Astana, October 27: Kajal Dhochak and Neelam Sirohi have qualified for the finals of the World Championships. This is the first time that two Indian women wrestlers will fight for gold at the same tournament.

Kajal faces Ukraine's Anastasiya Alpiyeva in the 76kg final, while Neelam meets Japan's Yui Susaki in the 50kg final. Their feat carries forward the record set by Anshu Malik in 2021. Malik had become the first Indian woman to reach a World Championships final, claiming silver.

Kajal is only 18 but already has two Under-20 world titles to her name. Making her debut at the senior World Championships, she was down 1-7 in her semifinal against Kyrgyzstan's Aiperi Medet Kyzy but fought back to win 10-7. She had earlier beaten Lithuania's Kamile Griskiene Gaukaite and Mongolia's Davaanasan Enkh-Amar.

Neelam, who is 26, guaranteed her place in the final by winning 7-3 against Kazakhstan's Zhanep Bayanova in the semifinal. In the earlier rounds, she had beaten Belarus's Natalia Varakina 6-0. She reached the semifinal stage after Russia's Elizaveta Smirnova was ruled out of the tournament with an injury.

Both finalists now have the chance to turn this historic day into India's first women's world title in the sport.

Rajnita, meanwhile, is still in the hunt for bronze in the 65kg category and will face Japan's Nana Ikehata in the repechage. She had earlier defeated 2024 world silver medallist Katarina Jelenic 8-6 but later lost to Moldova's Irina Ringaci.

Neha Sharma was knocked out in the round of 16 of the 57kg event. India's Greco-Roman campaign ended without a medal.