17-year-old Kajal clinches 72kg gold at U20 World Championships

Speed, aggression and a never-say-die attitude helped Kajal win gold at the U20 World Wrestling Championship in Samokov, Bulgaria, on Friday. The 17-year-old defeated China’s Liu Yuqi 8-6 in the 72kg final to win the title. It was truly a landmark achievement as she joined a select group of Indian wrestlers who have won medals at both the cadet and junior world championships. She had won a silver at the U17 World Championships earlier in the month. For Kajal, daughter of a taxi driver from Lath-Joli village in Sonipat, the gold medal was a culmination of years spent fighting financial odds, testing her mental resilience and proving that her dreams belonged on the world stage. Kajal’s journey in Samokov was nothing short of remarkable. Right from her opening bout, she displayed a mixture of aggression and composure, overwhelming her opponents with a blend of raw power and smart mat strategy. In her pre-quarterfinal against Bulgaria’s Emili Mihaylova Apostolova, the local favourite, Kajal silenced the home crowd with a ruthless performance. She piled on points, attacking relentlessly and closed the contest with a 15-4 victory on technical superiority. The quarterfinal was another statement. Facing Kyrgyzstan’s Kaiyrkul Sharshebaeva, Kajal exhibited a completely different approach. While she had relied on flurries of attacking moves against Apostolova, this time she showed compact defence and controlled aggression. Sharshebaeva simply could not break through, while Kajal picked up points at will, shutting her opponent out in a commanding 7-0 win. Her semifinal against Jasmine Dolores Robinson of the USA will be remembered as a turning point. Robinson, the defending champion, came in as the favourite and quickly raced to a 6-0 lead, threatening a one-sided contest. But Kajal dug deep into her reserves of resilience. Instead of panicking, she slowed down the pace, began chipping away at the deficit and turned the bout on its head. By the end of the contest, Kajal had clinched a 13-6 win, not only dethroning the champion but also sending a clear message — she would not succumb to pressure.Bronze for Shruti and Saarika Two more medals were added on the day with Shruti winning bronze in the 50kg category after defeating Josephine Wrensch of Germany 6-0. Saarika also thrashed Ilona Valchuk of Poland, winning 11-0 by technical superiority in the 53kg category.