India's wait for a first women's world wrestling champion continues, but Astana delivered a landmark night on Wednesday: Kajal Dhochak and Neelam Sirohi both won silver at the Senior World Championships, the first time two Indian women have reached finals at the same edition of the event, IANS and PTI reported.

Source: IANS

In the 76kg final, 18-year-old Kajal — on her senior World Championships debut after two U20 world titles — lost a thriller 6-8 to Ukraine's European champion Anastasiya Alpyeyeva. The bout was locked 4-4 late in the second period before Alpyeyeva scored the decisive moves; Kajal's silver is reported to be India's first-ever heavyweight medal at a World Championships.

Source: PTI

Kajal's road to the final was the story of the tournament for India. In the semifinals she trailed Kyrgyzstan's Aiperi Medet Kyzy 1-7 before storming back to win 10-7, after earlier victories over Lithuania's Kamile Griskiene Gaucaite and Mongolia's Davaanasan Enkh Amar, United World Wrestling records show.

Source: United World Wrestling

In the 50kg final, 26-year-old Neelam faced Japan's Yui Susaki, who had not conceded a point on her way to the title bout. Neelam held out for nearly three minutes before Susaki, leading 5-0, completed a fall to claim her fifth world title. Neelam had beaten Kazakhstan's Zeinep Bayanova 7-3 in the semifinals and Belarus's Natallia Varakina 6-0 earlier in the draw.

Source: PTI

Before Astana, Anshu Malik — silver medallist in 2021 — was the only Indian woman ever to reach a World Championships final; that count is now three. Elsewhere on Wednesday, Rajnita's 65kg campaign ended in the repechage with a 2-6 loss to Japan's Nana Ikehata. The women's competition concludes on Thursday with the 55kg and 59kg classes.

Source: IANS