Tripura-born judoka Ashmita Dey finished fifth in the women’s 48kg category at the Asian Games on Wednesday after losing her bronze medal contest to Mongolia’s Narantsetseg Ganbaatar.
Key Takeaways
- Tripura-born judoka Ashmita Dey finished fifth in the women’s 48kg category.
- She lost the bronze medal bout to Mongolia’s Narantsetseg Ganbaatar by waza.
- Ashmita had earlier reached the bronze contest after an ippon win and a repechage victory.
Tripura-born Indian judoka Ashmita Dey missed out on an Asian Games medal after losing her bronze medal bout in the women’s 48kg category on Wednesday.
Ashmita lost to Mongolia’s Narantsetseg Ganbaatar by waza and had to settle for fifth place. Her campaign had raised hopes of a medal after she recently won gold at the Commonwealth Games.
Strong Start in the 48kg Competition
Ashmita began her Asian Games campaign with a convincing win over Vietnam’s Ngoc Chi Ha. She defeated her opponent by ippon in the round of 16.
The Tripura judoka then faced Kazakhstan’s Abiba Abuzhakynova in the quarterfinals. Abuzhakynova, who went on to reach the final, defeated Ashmita by ippon.
The quarterfinal defeat did not end Ashmita’s medal hopes. She entered the repechage and secured another opportunity to compete for bronze.
Repechage Win Opens Bronze Medal Chance
Ashmita faced Hong Kong China’s Ka Lee Wong in the repechage bout. She defeated Wong by yoko with a 4-0 golden score.
The victory took Ashmita into the bronze medal contest against Mongolia’s Narantsetseg Ganbaatar. However, she could not complete her medal campaign with a victory and finished fifth.
The Telangana Today reported, waza in Judo refers to a technique or movement used during competition. Ippon represents a decisive scoring action, including a powerful throw in which the opponent lands on the back with considerable force and speed.
Disappointment in Tripura
Ashmita’s fifth-place finish disappointed sports lovers in Tripura. A sports official in Agartala said people had hoped to see the judoka win an Asian Games medal after her recent Commonwealth Games success.
“We all prayed for her success. She was sincere and determined to bring Asian Games medal. However, she could not win the bronze medal battle against her opponent. It hurts,” the official said.
