Pooja Dhanda added to the elation in the Indian camp by reaching the semi-finals in 59kg, at the World Wrestling championships in Nur-Sultan.

Pooja, who won a bronze at the 2018 Worlds in Budapest, turned it around remarkably against Japan’s Yuzuka Inagaki after trailing 0-5.

She got back in the match but was still behind 4-7. From there, the Indian pulled off a sensational move, slipping from under the Japanese to take her back for a take-down.

With just 40 seconds left, Pooja was still behind but pulled off a four-point move to take the lead and then held on to that to ensure her passage into semifinals.

Advertisement

She beat Belarus’ Katsiaryna Hanchar by technical superiority in her pre-quarterfinal and now faces Russian Liubov Ovcharova, the 2017 European champion.

Pooja had become only the fourth Indian to win a Worlds medal at Budapest last year and now can become the first female wrestler to win two.

(With PTI inputs)