Paris 2024 Olympics wrestling: Injured Nisha Dahiya puts on valiant effort but campaign ends in tears

Indian wrestler Nisha Dahiya battled severe pain and injury but lost her quarter-final bout in the women’s 68kg division at the Paris 2024 Olympics wrestling competition on Monday.

The 25-year-old Indian wrestler, who was competing with heavy strappings on her right hand, lost 10-8 to the 18-year-old Pak Sol Gum of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the quarter-finals.

Pak Sol Gum later lost to the USA’s Amit Elor in the women’s 68kg freestyle semi-finals via technical superiority, ending Nisha’s chance to earn a bronze medal through the repechage round.

Dahiya, the silver medallist at the 2023 Asian Championships, started strongly in her quarter-final bout. The Indian wrestler secured an early lead of 8-2 but had to take medical timeouts for her injured hand.

Battling through the pain and intense emotions, she switched to a defensive strategy to protect her advantage. However, Pak Sol Gum seized the opportunity, scoring eight consecutive points to secure her place in the wrestling semi-finals.

After the match, Nisha was taken to a medical facility inside the Games Village for a scan.

It was later learned that Nisha sustained a severe shoulder injury. "The course of her treatment will be planned after further tests are performed," the Indian Olympic Association said in a statement.

In her opening bout, Nisha Dahiya pulled off a late 6-4 win over fifth-seeded Tetiana Rizhko of Ukraine.

Nisha made the first attacking move and earned a point after attempting an early takedown. However, Rizhko mounted a comeback with two 2-pointers and 4-1 after the first round.

Nisha picked up two points within 10 seconds of the second round and got one more on the board after Rizhko stepped out. The scores remained 4-4 before Nisha turned the tables with 11 seconds to go and won the contest 6-4.

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat, who will compete in the women’s 50kg, will begin her campaign on Tuesday. A total of six Indian wrestlers are competing at the Paris 2024 Olympics.