Vinesh Phogat loses in quarters, Anshu Malik bows out after repechage defeat
Chiba (Japan), Aug 5: Vinesh Phogat suffered a massive upset defeat at the Olympic Games after being pinned by Belarus' Vanesa Kaladzinskaya in the 53kg quarterfinals to not only go out of the gold medal race but also face the risk of getting eliminated, here on Thursday.
Vinesh had no answer to the supreme defence of Vanesa, who got her revenge from the Indian at the biggest stage after suffering a similar embarrassing defeat 'by fall' earlier this year in Ukraine.
Vanesa, the reigning European champion, executed her strategy perfectly as Vinesh could not find a way to wriggle out of Vanesa's headlocks.
That crippled and rattled the top seed Vinesh, who is one of the strongest wrestlers in her category.
Even when Vinesh got behind Vansea, she could not push her down on the knees from a favourable position with the Belarusian showing immense strength to keep her legs straight.
Vinesh used all her might but Vanesa's defence would not crumble. Even the famous double-leg attack that Vinesh has used to get herself into position to pin her rivals, did not result in points.
Now if the Belarusian does not make the final, Vinesh's Olympic campaign will end in another heart-breaking exit.
She had suffered a quarterfinal defeat against China's Sun in Rio Games, where she also endured a leg injury and was stretchered out of the mat.
Before this bout, Vinesh had knocked out Rio Olympics bronze-winner and six-time world medallist Sofia Mattsson with a commanding 7-1 win.
Vinesh had beaten the Swede at the 2019 World Championship as well.
Every time Mattsson initiated a right-leg attack, Vinesh produced a splendid counter to score points.
Showing her immense power, Vinesh turned the Swede from a difficult position on the edge of the mat when she could have conceded a point.
The Indian maintained the intensity throughout and even got herself into a position for a pin but the Swede escaped the embarrassment.
Young Anshu Malik bowed out of the 57kg competition after losing her repechage round 1-5 to Russia's Valeria Koblova, the Rio Olympics silver medallist.
Anshu never looked intimidated by a stronger opponent and was leading the bout at one stage on criteria but towards the end, the Russian pulled off a two-pointer to nose ahead.
The 19-year-old Indian had lost her opener to European champion Irina Kurachikina but after the Belarusian progressed to the final, she bounced back to be in contention.
Ravi Dahiya (57kg) and Deepak Punia (86kg) will fight for gold and bronze medal respectively, in the evening session.
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Deputy CM Shivakumar fumes at Minister Jarkiholi for his statement on replacing KPCC prez
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday hit out at Minister Satish Jarkiholi for his statement on replacing him as the party's state president.
Shivakumar has been serving as Congress state chief since 2020.
"Can anyone get it (post) in the media? You can't get it in the media or any shop. It is given as a reward for the work we do. Will the media gift it to you. These are new trends," Shivakumar told reporters here.
Jarkiholi on Wednesday sparked a debate within the ruling Congress over the change of the state president, saying a full-time leader was needed to devote more time to the party in the state.
According to him, while there is a lot of discussion happening at the lower levels, it should come from the top.
Later, he clarified that he never spoke about replacing Shivakumar as the Congress president.
Taking a U-turn from his statement apparently after a rap from the party high command, the minister on late Wednesday blamed the media for twisting his statement.
"The reports that appeared in the media are far from truth. Some media reports were made to look grandiose," Jarkiholi, who holds public works portfolio, said in a video statement on his Facebook page.
"I never spoke about replacing D K Shivakumar. I only gave some suggestions keeping in view the party organisation and upcoming elections," he added.
He said such statement should have come from the top, but it came from the ground level, to which he belongs.
Meanwhile, the Congress state working president Manjunath Bhandary on Thursday asked seniors to refrain from making such statements.
The seniors who violate the high command's orders are not disciplined soldiers of the Congress, Bhandary said in a statement.
According to him, the leadership of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leaders Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi are strong in the party.
"The party high command leaders will decide all matters such as when to change the KPCC president and the chief minister, who should continue or who should be the ministers. However, no minister should give a statement in this regard," Bhandary said.
The decision on leadership change should not be discussed with the media. There is a high command in the party. If there are any issues, the party leaders should first bring them to the attention of the high command and not before the media, the Congress working president said.
He added that the high command has sought a report of those who have made such statements.
