Neelam Sirohi reaches Wrestling World Championships final after beating Zeynep Bayanova
· Sports · Sportstar, Indian Express
Neelam Sirohi assured India at least a silver medal at the Wrestling World Championships in Astana by defeating Asian Games bronze medallist Zeynep Bayanova 7-3 in the women's 50kg semifinals on Tuesday. The 26-year-old from Phenchari village near Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, had earlier beaten former Youth Olympic champion Natallia Varakina of Belarus and advanced by forfeit after Russia's Elizaveta Smirnova withdrew injured. Before this tournament only nine Indian women had ever medalled at the Worlds, and just one — Anshu Malik — had reached the final. Neelam will face four-time world champion Yui Susaki of Japan in the title bout. Kajal Dhochak also reached the final in another weight category, making it two Indian women in finals at the same Worlds for the first time.
Why it matters
Neelam Sirohi's run breaks the Haryana monopoly on Indian women's wrestling success at the world level and creates a new pathway for athletes from Uttar Pradesh's traditional wrestling belt.
Read the original report — Sportstar
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