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At the ongoing World Championships, India's greco-roman wrestler, Sajan Bhanwala, faced a tough challenge in the 82kg category, succumbing to the technical prowess of South Korea's Yang Sejin. Despite being ranked higher globally, Sajan lost 3-1, marking another challenging day for Indian grapplers at this esteemed event.
The championships have proved to be an uphill task for Indians, with the sole glimmer of hope in the men's freestyle category coming from Abhimanyu (70kg). He was the only one who advanced to the bronze-medal contention but was halted by Armenia's Arman Andreasyan.
There's still a ray of hope in the women's category. Antim Panghal, competing in the 53kg, has a shot at not only clinching a bronze medal but also securing a coveted spot in the Paris Olympics. Her performance will be keenly observed later on Thursday.
Gurpreet Singh, another prominent Indian wrestler, had a swift exit in the 77kg category. Despite starting in the pre-quarterfinal due to a direct entry, Gurpreet was overpowered by world No.1 Levai Zoltan of Hungary in a bout that lasted just over a minute. Zoltan, the silver medalist from the 2022 World Championships, secured a victory by fall. Yet, hope isn't entirely lost for Gurpreet. Should Zoltan reach the finals, Gurpreet might still have a shot at the bronze through the repechage.
Mehar Singh, competing in the heavyweight 130kg greco-roman category, was ousted in the qualification round. He faced David Ovasapyan of Armenia and was defeated 0-8 on technical points, with the bout lasting a mere 39 seconds.
An additional challenge for the Indian contingent is the ongoing suspension of the Wrestling Federation of India by the international federation. As a result, Indian wrestlers are competing under the United World Wrestling flag.
In summary, while the World Championships have posed considerable challenges for Indian grapplers, there's still hope for medals in specific categories. The event continues to be a critical platform for Indian wrestlers to showcase their skills and earn global recognition.
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