Commonwealth Games: Shushila Devi settles for silver, Vijay Yadav wins bronze in judo

Birmingham, Aug. 2 (IANS): India’s Shushila Devi Likmabam lost to South Africa’s Michaela Whitebooi by a Waza-Ari in the final to settle for the silver medal in Women’s 48kg judo competitions of the 2022 Commonwealth Games at the Coventry Arena near here on Monday.

Though Shushila’s failure to win India’s maiden gold medal in the Commonwealth Games judo competition was disappointing, India had another success on the day as Vijay Kumar Yadav won a bronze medal in the Men’s 60kg division. However, there was disappointment as Jasleen Singh Saini, and Suchika Tariyal lost out on a bronze medal each in the Men’s 66 kg and Women’s 57 kg respectively.

Shushila had won a silver medal in the 2014 edition of the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow and was expecting a gold here but the Indian could not break through against her South African opponent and lost by a Waza-Ari, the minimum point a player could win a judo match.

After the two players had bagged two penalties each and were unable to put together a scoring attack in normal time in the very tight contest, the South African girl got an attack going in the Golden Score period, in which the first to score wins. She bagged a Waza-Ari for the attack thus ending the hopes of the 27-year-old Indian from Manipur.

Vijay Yadav defeated Petros Christodoulides of Cyprus in the bronze medal match in Men’s 60kg, winning by an Ippon in normal time. Vijay was too good for his opponent and did not give him many chances, claiming two Waza-Ari within the first minute. He had a 10-0 advantage over his opponent when he was declared the winner.

Though he was satisfied with winning his first Commonwealth Games medal, Yadav was disappointed as he had expected to win the gold medal.