Pincky Balhara wins Asian Games kurash bronze

Pincky Balhara secured a bronze medal in the women’s 78kg kurash event at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Monday, September 28, giving India its third medal in the sport at the Games. She reached the podium by defeating South Korea’s Lim Garam in the quarterfinal before losing her semifinal to South Korea’s Sumin Mo. Balhara won the quarterfinal 3-0, with the decisive score coming from a throw. The victory guaranteed her a medal before the semifinal was held. In the last-four bout, she lost on penalty; one account reported the score as 0-5. Balhara said after the semifinal that she injured her right knee during the quarterfinal and was in pain afterward. She said Mo repeatedly attacked the injured area and that she lost on penalty. The account of the injury and what happened during the bout comes from Balhara; the available reports do not independently confirm it or include a response from Mo. The bronze is Balhara’s second Asian Games medal. She won silver in the women’s 52kg category in 2018, when kurash made its debut at the continental Games. The 52kg category was later removed, prompting her to change weight classes.