Commonwealth Games 2022: Sakshi Malik crowned women's 62kg champion

Sakshi Malik, on Friday, clinched the gold medal in women's 62kg at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. She defeated Canada's Ana Gonzalez by fall to be crowned the champion.

The match started on an even note, but Ana Gonzalez edged ahead a minute into the contest as a lapse in concentration from Sakshi led to the Indian trailing 0-2. The Canadian further extended her dominance before the end of the first period and led 4-0.

Sakshi Malik, however, hit back strongly in the second period pinning Gonzalez to lift her first-ever Commonwealth Games gold.

For Sakshi, who has been battling for relevance for a long, it was an ideal opportunity to get some confidence back and she used it to the optimum level in the 62kg contest by winning her maiden CWG gold.

She began by pinning home team wrestler Kelsey Barnes and followed that with a technical superiority win against Cameroon's Berthe Emilienne. In the final against Ana Paula Godinez Gonzalez, Sakshi trailed 0-4 after the Canadian scored on a counter-attack. Sakshi's right leg attack got wrong as she lost position, allowing her rival to complete a take-down move.

The U-23 World champion affected another takedown to go into the break with a 4-0 lead. Sakshi, who of late, has been seen succumbing to pressure reversed the trend this time as she initiated a right leg attack to throw the Canadian on the mat. From there she used power to pin Gonzalez, turning the table on her rival in a sensational manner. She had won a bronze in 2018 in Gold Coast and a silver in the 2014 Glasgow Games.

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