From Gold to Silver: Hooda's Valuable Lesson in Amman

Indian grappler Reetika Hooda, the current U-23 world champion, put up a valiant show at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2025 in Amman, Jordan, but agonizingly missed out on gold. Taking part in the women's 76kg freestyle final, Hooda was in front 6-2 against Kyrgyzstan's Aiperi Medet Kyzy with only 10 seconds left on the clock. But in a dramatic twist, Kyzy grabbed the win 7-6, leaving Hooda to claim silver.

 

This was Hooda's second successive defeat to Kyzy, having also lost to the Kazakh athlete in the Paris Olympics quarterfinals. Barring the despair, Hooda looked back fondly at the experience, with a nod towards the strategic faux pas that proved costly to the match and pledging to rectify these issues. "Gold reh gaya (I left the gold)," she lamented, regret mingling with resolution.

 

Hooda's journey to the final was as dominant. She beat Japan's Nodoka Yamamoto by fall during the semifinal and dominated South Korea's Seoyeon Jeong with a 10-0 technical supremacy in the quarters. Her silver medal contributes further to her establishing herself as one of India's brightest wrestling prospect.

 

Though the defeat hurts, Hooda's grit and learn-it-all mindset assure a grander comeback in the international scene.

 

Source: Hindustan Times