Ravi Dahiya, Deepak Punia storm into Olympic semifinals, get closer to medal rounds
Chiba (Japan): Ravi Dahiya was his usual dominant self while Deepak Punia pulled off a decisive two-pointer towards the end of his quarterfinal as the two Indian wrestlers stormed into the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics, here on Wednesday.
Such was the dominance of 23-year Dahiya that he won both his bouts on technical superiority to set up a 57kg semifinal clash with Kazakhstan's Nurislam Sanayev.
Deepak made the most of an easy draw by getting past Nigeria's Ekerekeme Agiomor, the African championship bronze medallist by technical superiority and then prevailed 6-3 against China's Zushen Lin in the quarterfinal.
The fourth-seeded Dahiya outclassed Colombia's Tigreros Urbano (13-2) in his opener and then outwitted Bulgaria's Georgi Valentinov Vangelov (14-4).
Against Urbano, Dahiya remained dominant, apart from conceding a take-down in the first period.
The reigning Asian champion nailed the win with one minute and 10 seconds still remaining in the bout, which was stopped after he raced to a winning lead.
The Indian effected five take-down moves in the second period, showing his technical prowess.
Against Vangelov, Dahiya relied on his double leg attacks, building his lead gradually.
In the 86kg, the Nigerian had the power but Deepak was technically sound and won comfortably. Against Lin, though, the 22-year-old Indian struggled.
He opened up a 3-1 lead but Lin effected a takedown to make it 3-3 and head on criteria. The referee awarded two points to Deepak for a throw but the Chinese won the challenge.
With just 10 seconds to go and Chinese ahead on criteria, Deepak managed to get under Lin and with his strong grip pulled both of Lin's legs in the air and threw him for a two-pointer to clinch the contest.
He will now be up against 2018 world champion American David Morris Taylor. The only disappointing result for India on the mat was the 2-8 defeat of Anshu Malik against European champion Irina Kurachikina.
Asian champion Anshu made a strong comeback after conceding a 0-4 lead against the Belarusian with two push out points.
She also managed to get hold of Kurachikina's right leg but could not complete the move.
On the counter attack, Anshu conceded another two-pointer but kept fighting. The European relied on her experience to prevail.
Anshu's chances to come back in the competition will depend on Kurachikina's progress. If the Belarusian makes the final, Anshu will get a repechage round.
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Pakistan's Balochistan appoints first Hindu woman Assistant Commissioner
Karachi, May 13 (PTI): Kashish Chaudhary, a 25-year-old Pakistani Hindu woman, has made history by becoming the first female from the minority community in Balochistan to be appointed as Assistant Commissioner in the restive province.
Kashish, who hails from the remote town of Noshki in district Chagai in the province, qualified Balochistan Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination.
On Monday, Kashish, accompanied by her father Girdhari Lal, met Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti in Quetta and told him that she would work for the empowerment of women and minorities, and the overall development of the province.
“It is a matter of great pride for me that my daughter has become an assistant commissioner due to her hard work and commitment,” Lal told the media.
Lal, a mid-level trader, said his daughter had always dreamed of studying and doing something for her women.
Chief Minister Bugti said it was a matter of pride for the nation when members of the minority communities got to key positions due to their hard work and effort.
“Kashish is a symbol of pride for the nation and Balochistan,” he said.
In recent years, women from the Hindu community have achieved notable success in generally male-dominated fields in Pakistan, overcoming many cultural, religious and social hurdles to get to important positions.
In July 2022, Manesh Ropeta became the first Hindu woman to be appointed as Superintendent of Police in Karachi, where she is still fulfilling her duties.
Pushpa Kumari Kohli, a 35-year-old police sub-inspector in Karachi, said Hindu women have the tenacity and intelligence to reach the top.
“I also passed the Sindh police Public Services Examination. There are many more Hindu girls out there waiting to educate themselves and become something,” said Kohli, who belongs to a scheduled caste.
Suman Pawan Bodani is still serving as a civil judge in Hyderabad after first being appointed as a civil judge in her hometown of Shahdadkot in Sindh province in 2019.
Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, a politician in Sindh province, believes that young Hindu girls, who are supported by their families, have shown more inclination and initiative to gain education and pursue higher studies.
“Our young women are doing us proud. We have doctors, civil servants, police officers, etc in Sindh,” he said.
He said that despite being notorious for its problem of underage and young Hindu girls being abducted and converted by Muslim men, Sindh required more educational facilities for the Hindu community to counter such menaces.
Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan. According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country.
The majority of Pakistan's Hindu population is settled in Sindh province.
