Sofia: Priya Malik, Cadet world champion, bagged the silver medal at the World U20 Wrestling Championships 2022 in the women’s 76kg category.
Priya lost 1-3 against Japan’s Ayano Moro in the final to finish second on the podium on Thursday.
Earlier, the 17-year-old Indian defeated Kazakhstan’s Alina Yertostik by fall and then scored a 6-4 win over Turkey’s Melisa Saritac in the quarterfinals.
She then registered narrow 6-5 win over the U20 European champion Veronika Nyikos of Hungary to pave her way to the final.
Priya won her second straight gold medal at the cadet world championships earlier in the year. She is also the reigning Asian champion in the cadet age group and brought back a silver medal from the U20 Asian Championships held in Bahrain in July.
In the 50kg division, Priyanshi Prajapat won bronze - her maiden medal at world stage- on Thursday.
Priyanshi blanked U23 Asian Championships bronze medallist Laura Ganikyzy of Kazakhstan 8-0 in the round of 16 and defeated Aida Kerymova of Ukraine's 9-7 in the quarterfinal.
However, Priyanshi's run halted by eventual gold medallist Umi Ito of Japan, as she lost via technical superiority (10-0).
She got the better of the reigning U23 Asian champion Munkhgerel Munkhbat of Mongolia to win the bronze medal.
Manju (women’s 55kg) and Bhagyashree Hanumant Fand (women’s 59kg), meanwhile, made it to the bronze medal play-offs but could not secure a medal after losing their respective bouts on Thursday.
Tokyo Olympian and two-time cadet world champion Sonam Malik (women’s 62kg), reigning junior Asian champions Antim (women’s 53kg) and Priyanka (women’s 65kg) will fight for gold. (UNI)