Neelam Sirohi (50kg) and Kajal Dhochak (76kg) became the first Indian women to reach World Championships finals on the same day
Sirohi overcame host Zeynep Bayanova 7-3 to become India's first female World finalist since Anshu Malik in 2021
Dhochak mounted a brilliant comeback from 1-7 down to beat three-time medallist Aiperi Medet Kyzy 10-7
Indian wrestling made history on Tuesday, when two women reached World Championships finals on the same day for the first time. Neelam Sirohi and Kajal Dhochak each booked a place in the title round in their weight categories.
Sirohi opened the day in the 50kg category. She beat home favourite Zeinep Bayanova of Kazakhstan 7-3 in the semifinal, and a hostile crowd did not rattle her. The result makes her only the second Indian woman to reach a World Championships final, and the first since Anshu Malik in 2021. That is a long gap for a country that has produced so many top women wrestlers, and Sirohi has now ended it.
Dhochak’s bout in the 76kg category was a much tougher watch. She faced Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan, a three-time world medallist, and fell behind early, trailing 1-7. A deficit like that against such an experienced opponent usually ends a contest.
Dhochak refused to accept it. She scored steadily and kept the pressure on, then overtook Medet Kyzy to win 10-7. Scoring 9 unanswered points against a three-time world medallist makes it one of the biggest comebacks in the tournament.
The two wins came within hours of each other and put India in two finals at once. Sirohi’s route to the 50kg final took her past the crowd favourite. Dhochak’s route to the 76kg final took her past one of the most decorated names in her category.
Both wrestlers now have a chance to win a world title. Sirohi will want to go one better than Anshu Malik, who lost her final in 2021. Dhochak will be hoping her comeback is the first part of a bigger story.
