Commonwealth and Asian Games wrestling champion Vinesh Phogat (50kg) and world championships silver medallist Anshu Malik (57kg) earned their respective quotas for the 2024 Paris Olympics after winning their semifinal bouts at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Bishkek on Saturday.

Vinesh, one of the main faces of the wrestlers’ protest last year, defeated Kazakhstan’s Laura Ganikyzy in the 50kg semifinal to inch closer to competing at her third straight Olympics.

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Later, Anshu also booked a spot in her second successive Olympics after getting the better of Uzbekistan’s Laylokhon Sobirova in the 57kg semifinal.

Competing in the 50kg category instead of her usual 53kg division (where Antim Panghal has already won an Olympic quota), Vinesh started off by recording a facile win over South Korea’s Miran Cheon. She then followed it up with a dominating display by pinning Cambodia’s Smanang Dit in just a little over a minute to advance to the semifinals.

According to the format of the Asian Olympic Qualifiers, the winners of the two semifinals, i.e. the two finalists, are awarded a quota for the Paris Olympics.

In the semifinal against Ganikyzy, a former U23 Asian Championships bronze medallist, Vinesh overcame an aggressive start from the opponent and played on the defence. The Indian inflicted another takedown in the dying seconds of the opening round to lead 4-0. The second period belonged completely to Vinesh as earned two points for exposure, before rolling Ganikyzy twice for six more points and a win via Technical Superiority.

This competition marked Vinesh’s return to international wrestling after sustaining an injury on her left knee last August, that required surgery. She will now face Aktenge Keunimjaeva of Uzbekistan, who defeated Chinese Taipei’s Meng Hsuan Hsieh 4-2.

Anshu earns another quota

The 57kg category has only eight participants and hence the competitions directly began at the quarterfinal stage. Anshu, who was up against Kyrgyzstan’s Kalmira Bilimbekova consumed just three minutes to wrap up the victory on Technical Superiority.

In the semifinal, she took on Uzbekistan’s Laylokhon Sobirova – a silver medallist at the 2023 Asian Championships and a former Asian Juniors champion but the opponent hardly had any replies to Anshu’s moves, and eventually it was a matter of time before Anshu sealed the contest inside the opening period.

All eyes will now be on Mansi (62kg) and Reetika (76kg) to seal their Olympic quota places in the competition.