Sports
-Gaurav Sharma
Meenakshi Goyat ended Vinesh Phogat’s Asian Games hopes in the women’s 53kg category, winning 6-4 in the semifinal at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. The defeat meant Vinesh could not secure a place in the Indian squad for the Asian Games.
The loss came despite Vinesh’s encouraging return to competition earlier in the day. Competing for the first time since the Paris Olympics, Vinesh began the Asian Games trials campaign with a strong Round of 16 win over Jyoti, controlling that bout to claim a 7-1 victory.
Meenakshi Goyat defeated Vinesh Phogat 6-4 in the women’s 53kg semifinal at the Asian Games trials in New Delhi, ending Phogat’s hopes of securing a place in the Indian squad for the event.
Asian Games trials result and match dynamics
The semifinal itself turned into one of the day’s tightest contests, with both wrestlers trading points through most of the bout. Neither managed to build a clear lead for long, as the scoreboard stayed close and tense inside the packed Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
Vinesh had earlier received a passivity warning against Jyoti, but then settled and dictated that fight. Against Meenakshi, however, the decisive exchanges went the other way. Meenakshi seized key scoring chances late in the clash, then defended resolutely to preserve the 6-4 edge and advance.
