Judoka Inunganbi Takhellambam ended India’s 13-year medal drought with a bronze medal at the Asian Judo Championships in Ordos, China, on Friday.
She won the bronze medal bout on Ippon against Mongolia’s Lkhagvadulam Sarantsetseg in women’s 70kg after a brilliant choke hold on the neck.
The Mongolian judoka was forced to tap out as she could not get rid of that submission hold.
With this, Inunganbi etched her name into the history books, securing India’s 16th medal ever at the Continental Championships and the first since Angom Anita Chanu’s bronze in 2013.
The 27-year-old Indian had a bye in the first round and started directly in the quarter-finals, where she lost to Uzbekistan player Shirinjon Yuldoshova.
But then, she earned a repachage and claimed her first win of the event against Alina Moldokulova of Kyrgyzstan and booked her place in the medal round.
India had another medal bout on the day but Yamini Mourya bowed down to a Japan’s Mina Komiyama in the women’s 57kg bronze medal bout.
The final four Indian Judokas, two each in men’s and women’s, including Commonwealth Games medalist Tulika Maan, will be in action on Saturday.
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