World Wrestling Championship: Anshu Malik Bags Silver while Sarita Mor Wins Bronze; Check Details Here

History created! Anshu Malik and Sarita Mor ends India’s losing streak at World Wrestling Championship.

India’s Anshu Malik won a silver medal at the Wrestling World Championships in Oslo on Thursday, losing a tough 57kg final against Helen Louise Maroulis. The Indian lost the final by fall. Later, Sarita Mor clinched the bronze medal in the women’s 59kg category for India’s 2nd medal at the event.

The 30-year-old American, a former Olympic champ (2016) and a two-time World Champ (2015, 2017) in different weight categories, claimed her third world title. She most recently won the bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in this 57kg category.

The pedigreed American was tested by Anshu in the first period, with the Indian starting aggressively and unlucky that it did not reflect on the scoreboard, thanks to Maroulis’ great defence. Anshu did have a 1-0 lead at the end of the period thanks to a passivity point. But Maroulis came storming out of the gates and had Anshu under pressure with a couple of two-pointers and a 4-1 lead.

Alka Tomar (2006), Geeta Phogat (2012), Babita Phogat (2012), Pooja Dhanda (2018) and Vinesh Phogat (2019) had won a bronze each before Oslo with now Anshu and Sarita adding to the count with a silver and bronze in 2021.

Sarita Mor made it a good evening for India’s wrestling contingent that was so far struggling in Oslo. Sarita ended her Worlds medal drought with a convincing 8-2 win over Sweden’s Sara Johanna Lindborg in the bronze play-off. Indian women have now bettered their best-ever show at the Worlds as winning two bronze in 2012 through the Phogat sisters was the country’s best show.