Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik crashed out in the round of 16 while compatriot Vinesh Phogat's campaign also ended in a whimper as Indian grapplers continued with dismal show at World Wrestling Championship.
After three listless days, the onus was on Sakshi and Vinesh to end India's medal drought but both failed to live up to expectations.
Sakshi was stunned by Luisa Niemesch of Germany 2-3 in the 60 kg category, while two-time junior world champion Victoria Anthony of USA got a fall over Vinesh Phogat in the round of 16 of the 48 kg category. It was a humiliating defeat for Vinesh, who was unfortunately injured, during the Rio Olympics.
This was after Vinesh had earlier won her qualification round.
Other Indians in the fray on Thursday – Sheetal Tomar (53kg) and Navjot Kaur (69kg) –also bowed out of the tournament with contrasting performances.
Navjot was beaten 5-10 by Mongolia's Ochirbat Nasanburmaa in the 69 kg category, but surprisingly lesser-known Sheetal emerged as the lone Indian woman wrestler to win her Round of 16 round when he got the better of Jessica Mcbain of Australia 10-0 in 53 kg.
However, Sheetal could not maintain her rhythm and lost the quarter-finals against Estera Dobre of Romania, going down 2-4.
There were high expectations from Sakshi, who became the first Indian woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal at the Rio Games last year but she hardly put up a fight in her round of 16 bout against a lower-ranked opponent.
Sakshi had recently climbed up a division to 60 kg category at the Asian Championship in May this year, after her successful stint at the Olympics in the 58 kg category.
The 24-year-old had finished with a silver medal at the Asian Championship and decided to compete in the 60 kg weight division here as well.
However, it was all over for Sakshi in the opening round itself.
Now India's only hope are the men's freestyle wrestlers, especially Asian champion Bajrang Punia (65kg) and Olympian Sandeep Tomar (57kg) on the last two remaining days of the tournament.
A 24-member Indian contingent had been attending special training sessions at de Bercy's wrestling centre in Boulevard de Bercy borough in Paris since 6 August, but the grapplers do not seem to have benefited by the rigorous practice much.
(With inputs from PTI)
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