Sirohi and Dhochak reach World Championships finals

Indian wrestlers Neelam Sirohi and Kajal Dhochak reached the finals of their weight classes at the World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, setting up two title bouts scheduled for Wednesday, October 28. Their progress marks a rare achievement for India’s women’s team at the senior championships; both finals were still to be wrestled at the time of reporting. Sirohi advanced to the 50-kilogram final by defeating Kazakhstan’s Zeinep Bayanova 7-3 in the semifinal. She is due to face Japan’s Yui Susaki, a four-time world champion and 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medallist. Susaki’s only reported international defeat came against India’s Vinesh Phogat at the 2024 Paris Olympics. National team coach Virender Dahiya said Sirohi’s plan was to defend carefully and try to score in the closing moments. He said the pair had focused on her ground defence and counterattack after she lost to Deepanshi Phogat in the Asian Games selection trials, despite leading 6-0. Sirohi also defeated Belarus’s Natallia Varakina in the pre-quarterfinals. She advanced from the quarterfinals after top seed Elizaveta Smirnova withdrew with an injury. Dhochak reached the 76-kilogram final after rallying from a...