Paris (France), Aug 5: India’s Nisha Dahiya came back fighting and stormed into the quarterfinals of the women’s 68kg freestyle wrestling event with a 6-4 win over Ukraine’s Tetiana Sova in the pre-quarterfinals event. Dahiya opened the scoring in the bout and took a 1-0 lead through a step-out point in the first round. Tetiana relied on her defence and waited for the perfect chance to score four points on the counterattack and held a 4-1 lead.

In what can only be described as a close encounter, Dahiya scored two points with a takedown and one more with a step out to fight her back and tie the bout 4-4.

The game remained tied with the clock running out in the encounter but a late takedown with just 11 seconds remaining secured two points and a 6-4 victory for the Indian grappler.

Nisha Dahiya will be taking on Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s Pak Sol Gum in the quarterfinal later on Monday.

Alongside Nisha, Vinesh Phogat (50kg), Antim Panghal (53kg), Anshu Malik (57kg), Nisha Dahiya (68kg) and Reetika Hooda (76kg) in the women's category while Aman Sehrawat (57kg), the sole Indian male wrestler at the Games, will all begin their 2024 Olympics journey as the tournament progresses.

India has so far won two silver and five bronze medals in wrestling competitions in the Olympics. K.D. Jadhav was the first Indian wrestler to win an Olympic medal, a bronze in the 1952 Games in Helsinki.

Sushil Kumar (bronze 2008, silver 2012), Ravi Dahiya (silver Tokyo 2020), Yogeshwar Dutt (bronze London 2012), Sakshi Malik (bronze Rio 2016) and Bajrang Punia (bronze 2020 Tokyo) are the Indian wrestlers to have won medals at the Olympics.

--IANS

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