India defeats Nepal in women’s team final, tops medal chart

Published On: April 24, 2018 07:55 AM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

Team players of India (center), Nepal (left) and Pakistan pose with their medals on the podium at the end of their women’s team event final during the 8th South Asian Judo Championship at the Army Physical Training and Sports Center in Lalitpur on Monday. Photo: Bijay Gajmer

KATHMANDU, April 24: Nepal suffered a defeat at the hands of India in the final match of women’s category in the third and the final day of the 8th South Asian Judo Championship, on Monday.
The Indian team comprising of Sushila Devi Likmambam, Anita Angom Chanu, Sunibala Devi Huidrom, Garima Chaudhary and Tulika Maan defeated Nepali team comprising Devika Khadka, Manita Shrestha Pradhan, Phupu Lamhu Khatri, Bhawana Gharti Magar and Punam Shrestha 5-0 to win the gold.

From the Nepali side, Manita Shrestha was the only player to score a wazari point in the game. She was leading the bout but in the end she was pinned down by her Indian opponent Chanu.
Likewise, gold medalist of South Asian Games Khatri was also pinned down by Huidrom.
Pakistan secured bronze defeating Bangladesh 4-1.

Also, India won the team events in the men’s category on the same day.

Indian men’s team defeated Pakistan in the final 3-2 to clinch the gold.

The Indian team included Vijay Kumar Yadav, Ajay Yadav, Divesh, Jobandeep Singh and Udayvir Singh while Pakistan’s team included Babar Hussain, Nadeem Akram, Abbas Muhammad, Qaisar Khan, and Shah Hussain Shah.

During the final, India’s Yadav defeated Pakistan’s Hussain, while Akram beat India’s Ajay Yadav to make the score 1-1.

Divesh extended India’s lead 2-1 defeating Pakistan’s Muhammad.

India then took an unassailable 3-1 lead after Jobandeep Singh beat Qaisar Khan. Shah Hussain Shah secured a consolation win for Pakistan to settle for a respectable score of 3-2 by defeating Udayvir Singh.

Sri Lanka finished third defeating Nepal 3-2. Nepal was leading 2-0, but the Sri Lankan players won the remaining three matches to secure the bronze medal.

Earlier in individual events, India had secured 10 gold medals. Among India’s 10 golds, its women players made a clean sweep of all seven golds while only three men won gold medals.
Nepal and Pakistan had secured two golds each during the three-day event.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the members of South Asian Judo Federation decided to hold the next edition of South Asian Judo Championship in Bangladesh in 2020.

Likewise, Sri Lanka will host the junior and cadet championship in 2019.

The host Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka took part in the tournament, while the Maldives did not participate this time. A total of 102 players fought for seven golds, seven silvers and 14 bronzes in men’s and women’s individual categories each, while they contested for one gold, one silver and two bronzes in the men’s and women’s team events each.

The tournament featured U-60 kg, U-66 kg, U-73 kg, U-81 kg, U-90 kg, U-100 kg and above 100 kg in men’s weight category, while the women’s section featured U-48 kg, U-52 kg, U-57 kg, U-63 kg, U-70 kg, U-78 kg and above 78 kg. Every game was played of four minutes according to the international rule.