Dedicate Medal to Those Fighting Crime Against Women: Sangeeta After Bronze Win

Sangeeta Phogat won a bronze medal at the Polyák Imre & Varga János Memorial Ranking Series wrestling championship

(Photo: Twitter/SangeetaPhogat)

India's Sangeeta Phogat won a bronze medal at the Polyák Imre & Varga János Memorial Ranking Series wrestling championship in Budapest, Hungary, beating Viktoria Borsos of Hungary in the third-fourth place match.

Sangeeta defeated her Hungarian opponent 6-2 in a win by decision (VPO1). She took the lead with a takedown move and though the Hungarian levelled the scores at 2-2, the Indian wrestler launched a fast and furious attack.

'Many thanks to all of you, I am very emotional at this moment,' posted Sangeeta on social media after her bronze medal win.

'This medal is not mine alone. I dedicate this medal to all those women fighting against crime against women. Jai Hind,' she added.

Sangeeta, who is the wife of Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia and sister of Commonwealth Games gold medalist Geeta Phogat, had reached the semifinals via the repechage rounds after starting her campaign with a crushing defeat by fall to Jennifer Page Rogers of the United States. 

She bounced back by beating another American wrestler Brenda Olivia Reyna 12-2 for a win by technical superiority (VSU1) in the third round. Sangeeta went on the attack from the start and with quick movements went into a 4-2 lead and went on to win the bout by technical superiority.

The win in the third round bagged Sangeeta a place in the semifinal but she could not go further in the final.

Sangeeta lost her semifinal bout against  Magdalena Urszula Gloder of Poland 4-6 by points before bouncing back again in the third-fourth place match to bag the bronze medal.

This was her first event since the wrestlers' ended their sit-in protest against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, of which Sangeeta was a part. Sangeeta had travelled to Budapest as a sparring partner for Vinesh Phogat who had to herself pull out of the rankings event due to ill health on Friday.