Nitesh Siwach reaches Greco-Roman 97kg final; Mansi seeks bronze
Nitesh Siwach storms into the Greco-Roman 97kg final at the Asian Games after a dominant win, while Mansi Ahlawat seeks bronze.
India's wrestling campaign saw a massive boost at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games as Nitesh Siwach secured his place in the men's Greco-Roman 97kg final. Following a clinical performance, Siwach has guaranteed India another medal in the wrestling arena, though teammate Mansi Ahlawat will have to settle for a fight for the bronze after missing out on the gold medal match.
Nitesh Siwach's dominant run to the final
Nitesh Siwach displayed immense strength and technique to overpower Mongolia's Gankhuyag Ganbaatar with a decisive 9-0 victory. This win follows his impressive run earlier in the tournament, where he defeated Turkmenistan's Amanberdi Agamammedov 7-1 in the quarterfinals. In that match, Siwach had established a commanding 7-0 lead in the very first period, setting the tone for his eventual triumph.
Having previously secured a silver at the Asian Championships, Siwach's performance against the Hangzhou Asian Games bronze medallist underscores his rising dominance in the sport. He now awaits the winner of the semifinal between Japan's Yuri Nakazato and Iran's Mehdi Balihamzehdeh to determine who will claim the top spot on the podium.
Mansi Ahlawat's gold medal hopes dashed
In the women's 62kg category, Mansi Ahlawat faced a tough hurdle in her semifinal bout against Japan's Nonoka Ozaki. The two-time world champion proved too difficult to overcome, securing a 6-0 victory over the Indian wrestler.
The match saw Ozaki take an early 2-0 lead through a takedown, a move she repeated to extend her lead to 4-0. While Mansi showed resilience in her defense, she struggled to penetrate the Japanese wrestler's guard. Ozaki added two more points in the second period to seal the win. Mansi, a former World Championships bronze medallist, will now enter the repechage to fight for a bronze medal.
Mixed results in Judo and other disciplines
India's quest for medals continued across various sports on Thursday, yielding a mix of progress and setbacks:
- Judo: Yamini Mourya fell in the women's 57kg quarterfinals to Mongolia's Ariunzaya Terbish via yuko. She will now compete in the repechage against Japan's Mio Shirakane. Meanwhile, Inunganbi Takhellambam advanced to the quarterfinals after a convincing ippon victory over Nepal's Punam Shrestha and will face North Korea's Mun Song Hui.
- Squash: The Indian women's team squash squad secured a bronze medal after a hard-fought 1-2 loss to Hong Kong in the semifinals.
- Sepaktakraw: India's men's team moved into the semifinals after a 2-0 victory over Vietnam in the Group A quadrant match.
- Volleyball: The men's volleyball campaign came to an end following a 0-3 defeat to Pakistan in the quarterfinals.
As the games progress, India continues to build on its medal tally, which stood at 60 medals—comprising 10 gold, 21 silver, and 29 bronze—heading into the twelfth day of competition.