Indian wrestler Sonam Malik's Olympic debut ends in first-round defeat
Tokyo: Young Indian wrestler Sonam Malik's Olympic debut ended with a first-round defeat on criteria against Mongolia's Bolortuya Khurelkhuu in the 62kg category after the former had adopted a defensive approach here on Tuesday.
The 19-year-old led the bout 2-0 but the reigning Asian silver medallist Khurelkhuu effected a take-down move with just 35 seconds left in the contest to level the score.
The score remained 2-2 till the end but since it was the Mongolian who scored the last point with her move, she was declared winner on criteria.
The Mongolian was later outplayed by Bulgaria's Tayeb Mustafa Yusein, the second seed and 2018 world champion, the result spelling the ouster of the Indian wrestler.
Yusein finished her quarterfinal against Khurelkhuu in a jiffy, winning by technical superiority.
"Sonam was definitely a better wrestler than the Mongolian but she made a mistake by being over defensive. That was a mistake. Nevertheless, she has got big-stage experience," Sonam's coach Ajmer Malik told PTI.
There was hardly any action for a major part of the bout. No move was made till one and a half minute with the two wrestlers only trying to get a measure of each other from standing position.
The Mongolian was put on activity clock but Sonam scored a push-out point to take a 1-0 lead and kept that till the end of the first three-minute period.
Another push out took her 2-0 in front. Sonam did not let the Mongolian make any move for a major part but Khurelkhuu managed to get hold of the Indian's leg and got the decisive take-down.
Sonam, a two-time Cadet World Champion (2017, 2019), had qualified for the Tokyo Games by making the final at the Asian Qualifier in April in Almaty.
Khurelkhuu being an experienced contender knew when to get the decisive move.
On Wednesday, Ravi Dahiya (FS 57kg), Deepak Punia (FS 86kg) and Anshu Malik (WW 57kg) will begin their respective campaigns.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
