Vinesh Phogat suffers shock defeat in World Wrestling C'ship, still has chance to win bronze

The Mongolian won 7-0 on the basis of Victory by Points (VPO). Phogat was a favourite heading into the match and a big contender for a medal.

Belgrade (Serbia):Commonwealth Games 2022 gold medalist Vinesh Phogat suffered a shock defeat at the World Wrestling Championships 2022 here as she was stunned by Mongolia's Khulan Bathkhuyag in the qualification stage of the women's 53 kg category. The Mongolian won 7-0 on the basis of Victory by Points (VPO). Phogat was a favourite heading into the match and a big contender for a medal.

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At the end of the first period, Phogat was down by 3-0. She tried to earn some points and control her opponent's dominance in the later stage of the match but Bathkhuyag slammed her to the mat during the final seconds, scoring four points. Vinesh had won a bronze medal at the Championships in 2019. She won the gold medal in the Women's Freestyle 53 kg Nordic category in the recently concluded Commonwealth Games 2022 by defeating Chamodya Keshani Maduravalage Don of Sri Lanka at the Coventry Arena Wrestling Mat B.

Vinesh still has a chance at winning a bronze medal at least World Wrestling Championships through Repechage round. Phogat will take on Zhuldyz Eshimova of Kazakhstan in the repechage round. If she manages to win that, her next opponent in this round would be Azerbaijan's Leyla Gurbanova.

A victory in this match will take her to the bronze medal match against Sweden's Emma Jonna Denise Malmgren. The 2022 World Wrestling Championships started in Belgrade on September 10 and will go on till September 18.

ANI