Asian Games: Wrestler Divya Kakran Bags Bronze in 68 kg Category

India’s Divya Kakran won her first Asian Games medal in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Wrestler Divya Kakran celebrates after winning a bronze medal at the Asian Games.

(Photo: PTI)

Divya Kakran added the first bronze to India's wrestling tally at the 18th Asian Games, beating Taipei's Chen Wenling in the third-place play-off bout for the 68 kg category in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old Asian championships silver-medallist prevailed on account of Technical Superiority. The Indian hardly broke a sweat, taking just one minute and 29 seconds in the first period to open up a 10-0 lead which gave her the win.

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This is my first Asian Games and first medal. I am glad I could I do it. The coach (Kuldeep Malik) had more confidence in me than myself. In Delhi (Asian Junior Championship), I was desperate to get gold, so committed mistakes. Here I knew that gold and silver has gone out of reach, so fought hard for whatever was available. I just went for it

Divya Kakran

India's national women freestyle coach Kuldeep Malik said, "She is young and it was her first tournament of this level. She will get better."

Earlier, Bajrang Punia (65kg) and Vinesh Phogat (50kg) had claimed gold medals in their respective events.

Divya won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Championships last year.

(With inputs from IANS and PTI)