Meenakshi, who had stunned Antim Pangal in the national selection trials last month, reached the women’s 53kg final at the 2026 Asian Wrestling Championships on Thursday.
Up against South Korea’s Seo Young Park in the semi-finals, Meenakshi trailed 0-2 until the last 30 seconds before she fought back with a four-point throw to advance to the gold medal bout.
She is the only Indian woman to reach the final of the continental championships this edition.
Meenakshi, a former U-23 Asian champion, will now face China’s Jin Zhang in the final on Friday.
Hansika, Neha win bronze
Elsewhere, Hansika Lamba and Neha clinched a bronze medal apiece in women’s 55kg and women’s 59kg respectively.
While Hansika beat Kyrgyzstan’s Aruuke Kyzy 6-1 in the bronze medal match, Neha took down Mongolia’s Bolortuya Khurelkuu 10-4.
The medal wins from Hansika and Neha took India’s total medal tally at the 2026 Asian Championships to seven.
Earlier, the Greco Roman wrestlers from the country had bagged five medals.
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