• Source:JND
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Paris Olympics 2024 Wrestling: Indian wrestler Nisha Dahiya suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the quarter-finals of the women’s 68kg freestyle event at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Monday, August 5.

Nisha picked up a hand injury during the match which was the major reason for her loss in the match she was leading in with a promising margin.

Nisha was leading 8-2 in the second period against Pak Sol Gum of South Korea when she suffered an injury on her right hand with 33 seconds to go.

Following a medical break, Nisha didn't have any strength left in her right hand and it became a cakewalk for the North Korean, who showed her ruthless streak to get a leg-hold and nine straight points.

In fact, with 10 seconds left, the scoreline was 8-8 but the writing was on the wall as the Haryana woman surrendered in the dying moments without a fight.

Nisha might have a shot at repechage if her North Korean opponent reaches the final, but whether she will be in a position to even take the mat is a bigger question as wept inconsolably after the bout.

She had made it to the quarterfinal bout on the back of a victory over Ukraine's Tetiana Sova 6-4 in the round of 16.

The Indian wrestler was trailing 1-4 at the end of the first period, but she scripted a comeback in the second round by scoring five points.

After the match, Nisha was taken to a medical facility inside the Games Village for the scan.

"It was 100 per cent intentional, they hurt her intentionally. We had seen, that there was an instruction from the Korean corner. They attacked the joint. They have taken away the medal from her," India's national coach Virender Dahiya was quoted by PTI as saying.

"The way Nisha had started, the medal was in her neck and it had been taken away. The attacks were clear, the counter-attack worked and the defence was compact. She had beaten the same wrestler at the Asian Qualifier, there was no way Nisha was losing this."

India's only entry in the heavyweight category, Nisha is an Asian Championships silver medallist and got the better of her opponent from Ukraine without much trouble.

 

(With Agency Inputs)