Indian wrestler Babita Kumari has failed to replicate the stupendous form exhibited by her cousin Vinesh Phogat and friend Sakshi Malik on the previous day at the Rio Olympics 2016 as she lost her opening match against Maria Prevolaraki of Greece 1-5 in the Women’s Freestyle 53 kg category on Thursday.
Babita’s match was the third of the day and commenced immediately after Senegalese wrestler Isabelle Sambou knocked her Vietnamese opponent Nguyen Thi Lua out of the competition with an impressive second-period fall. Stepping out into the centre of the Carioca Arena 2 in Rio de Janeiro, the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth gold medallist was looking to extend India’s brilliant run in Olympic wrestling that had just brought an end to the disappointing medalless streak for the country at Rio 2016.
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The Greek Maria Prevolaraki was marking her return to the Olympics in the red corner while in the blue corner, Babita Kumari was making her Olympic debut at the age of 26.
As the referee’s whistle got us underway. Babita played the role of an aggressor, trying to catch Maria’s foot on multiple occasions in an effort to enforce a takedown but the Greek’s defence was a solid, impenetrable one. It did appear to be in the Indian’s kitty for a moment when she managed to get around Maria’s waist and get a hold of her heels, but the latter turned it around in style as she forced Babita out of bounds to get off the mark with a single point.
A two-point takedown in the 3rd minute steered Maria into a comfortable 3-0 lead at the halfway interval.
In the second period, it was a similar story for the Indian as Prevolaraki continued to fend off her advances till the 4th minute. Even a passivity warning didn’t affect her much as she quickly executed a second takedown on Babita to move 5-1 ahead.
An eagerly awaited comeback was nowhere to be for Babita Kumari was it stayed 1-5 till the final whistle, giving the match to Prevolaraki.
It would’ve been a relatively easier route till the semi-finals for the daughter of India’s wrestling family had she managed to get past the first hurdle. Now that Maria Prevolaraki has been defeated by Venezuelan Betzabeth Angelica Arguello Villegas in the quarter-final rounds, Babita’s hopes for a shot at Bronze through repechage are over. Sakshi Malik’s will remain the only Olympic medal for India in women’s wrestling at Rio 2016.
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