Sofia, May 7: India’s Seema Bisla won a quota place in women’s 50 kg freestyle wrestling for Tokyo Olympics after she entered the final of World Olympic qualifiers here on Friday.
The finalists in each of the weight categories earn Olympic quota places.
In the semi-final, the 28-year-old Indian wrestler scored a 2-1 win over Poland’s Anna Lukasiak to set up a title clash with Ecuador’s Lucia Yamileth Yepez Guzman.
“Last month, she missed an Olympic quota place in the Asian qualification tournament in Almaty. She was very upset but was determined to do well in Sofia. She started the world qualifiers on a positive note. I knew she was on the right track to win a ticket to Tokyo Olympics,” women’s chief coach Kuldeep Malik told IANS.
Seema is the fourth Indian to earn an Olympic quota place in the women’s category. Vinesh Phogat got an Olympic quota place in 2019 while Sonam Malik (62 kg) and Anshu Malik (57 kg) got quota places last month at the Asian Olympic qualification tournament in Almaty.
In the quarter-finals, Seema beat Emma Jonna Denise Malmgren of Sweden 10-2 after a comprehensive 8-0 win over Anastasiya Yanotava of Belarus in the first match.
In women’s 68kg, India’s Nisha got off to a good start by defeating Natalia Iwona Strzalka of Poland 12-1 but then lost her quarter-final match to Bulgaria’s Mimi Hristova 2-12 to crash out of the competition.
In women’s 76 kg, Pooja lost her first round match to Kamile Gaucaite of Lithuania 4-5 to crash out.
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