India’s young wrestlers Anshu Malik and Sonam Malik produced impressive performances in the Asian Olympic Qualifiers here on Saturday to qualify for the Tokyo Games.
Anshu, 19, and Sonam, 18, making a steady transition from the junior to the senior circuit, joined senior pro Vinesh Phogat (53kg) in making the Olympics cut. India now have three women wrestlers, who will now fight for glory at the Summer Games. Vinesh had qualified through the 2019 World Championship.
Overall, India now have seven wrestlers who have qualified for the upcoming Games. Among men, Bajrang Punia (65kg), Ravi Dahiya (57kg) and Deepak Punia (86kg) have qualified in the men’s free style event.
While Anshu was dominant in 57kg competition, Sonam’s resilience eventually helped her secure the quota and shut the door on Rio Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik.
Sonam announced her arrival by defeating Sakshi four times in recent trials, making the 62kg category her own.
“She has shown that she is ready for the senior circuit. Look what she has done. People had said that she is still at the cadet level but the consistent victories against Sakshi has boosted her confidence,” Sonam’s personal coach Ajmer Malik said.
“She does not lose confidence or hope now even after conceding points. We are proud of her,” added Ajmer.