CWG 2022: Judoka Shushila Devi wins silver; Vijay Kumar Yadav bags bronze

Birmingham, Aug 1: Shushila Devi Likmabam bagged her second Commonwealth Games silver medal to give India their seventh medal in the ongoing Birmingham Games on Monday (Aug 1).

Shushila Devi, who had previously won silver in the Glasgow Games in 2014, lost in the final of the women’s 48kgs to South Africa’s Michaela Whiltebooi. In the gold medal match, in a hard-fought contest, Shushila went down via a 'Waza-Ari’ in 4.25 minutes to Whitebooi, to settle for silver.

Shushila’s silver was quickly followed up by a bronze from Judo. India’s Vijay Kumar Yadav quickly grabbed the bronze medal in the men’s 60kg match, as he took down South Africa’s with an Ippon.

With weightlifting doing the heavy lifting so far, Shushila Devi’s show finally saw India clinch a medal from another discipline. Devi's silver and Yadav's bronze saw India clinch two medals from judo.

Meanwhile, the other Indian judoka in action, Jasleen Singh Saini lost to Australia's Nathan Katz in the 66kg men's bronze medal match.

Earlier Shushila Devi, entered the final of the women’s 48kg with a win over Priscilla Morand of Mauritius. The 27-year-old from Manipur took down Morand with an 'Ippon' to set ensure a medal for India and set up a clash with Whitebooi of South Africa.

Ippon is a move in which a contestant throws his opponent to the mat with considerable force and speed so that the opponent lands on his back. An ippon is also awarded when a contestant immobilizes his opponent with a grappling hold-down for 20 seconds, or when an opponent gives up. A sub-inspector with Manipur Police, Shushila had progressed to the quarterfinals with a win over Harriet Bonface of Malawi earlier in the day.

Meanwhile, earlier, in the men’s 60kg repechage, Vijay Kumar Yadav put up a scintillating show to advance to the bronze medal match with a win by 'Waza Ari' over Dylon Munro of Scotland. A 'waza-ari' is awarded after a player throws his opponent with control and accuracy, but not to the extent of an ippon.

The 26-year-old Yadav, who has won the Commonwealth Championships in 2018 and 2019, had lost to Joshua Katz of Australia in the quarterfinal but made amends in the reprechage. He will face Petros Christodoulides of Cyprus in the bronze medal match.

Meanwhile, Saini, who missed out on the bronze medal was the third judoka up for a medal. Saini will also fight for a bronze medal after losing the men's 66kg semifinal to Scotland's Finlay Allan. Saini, who sailed into the semifinals earlier in the day, lost after the Scot performed an 'Ippon' in a match that lasted a little less than two and half minutes.

The 24-year-old Saini, however, has a chance to earn a podium finish as he will compete in the bronze medal play-off against Australian Nathan Katz later tonight. Suchika Tariyal has already reached the bronze medal round after defeating Donne Breytenbach of South Africa in the women's 57kg repechage. India had won two silver and two bronze at the Glasgow 2014, their best ever show in judo.

With Shushila Devi's silver and Vijay Kumar Yadav's bronze, India's medal count now stands at eight at the Birmingham Games.

Source: (Inputs from PTI)