India’s Priya Malik wins Gold at 2021 World Cadet Wrestling Championship
Indian wrestler Priya Malik has won a gold medal at the 2021 World Cadet Wrestling Championship in Budapest, Hungary, beating Belarus rival Kseniya Patapovich 5-0 in the 73 kg weight category.
Indian Wrestler Priya Malik has won a Gold Medal at the 2021 World Cadet Wrestling Championship in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday, thrashing Kseniya Patapovich 5-0 of Belarus in the 73-kg weight category.
This is not the first time Priya has won the gold medal. She had earlier won gold in the 2019 edition of Khelo India in Pune, and at the 17th School Games in Delhi. Furthermore, she also won two more gold medals in 2020 editions.
Priya’s win comes just a day after Mirabai Chanu won silver medal in the 49 kg category yesterday at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics. This was the first time India has won a medal on the opening day of the Olympic Games. This was India's first weightlifting medal at the Olympic Games in more than 20 years, since Karnam Malleshwari in Sydney.
The 26-year-old lifted a total of 202kg (87kg+115kg) to better Karnam Malleswari's bronze in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. With this, she exorcised the ghosts of the 2016 Games where she had failed to log a single legitimate lift.
“Its really a dream come true for me. I would like to dedicate this medal to my country and would like to thank the billion prayers of all Indians which were with me during this journey,” said Chanu in a statement which was shared from her Twitter account.
The gold went to China's Hou Zhihui with an effort of 210kg (94kg+116kg), while Aisah Windy Cantika of Indonesia took home the bronze with an effort of 194kg (84kg+110kg).
"Could not have asked for a happier start to Tokyo 2020 ! India is elated by Mirabai Chanu ’s stupendous performance. Congratulations to her for winning the Silver medal in weightlifting. Her success motivates every Indian," tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Several Bollywood celebrities, including Kareena Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, Kangana Ranaut, Anil Kapoor and Sunny Deol took to social media to celebrate this proud moment.
Edited by Anju Narayanan
