Wushu
Wushu World C'ships: Aparna, Kareena, Shivani reach gold medal matches
Sagar Dahiya advanced to the men's 56 kg semifinal.
Aparna, Kareena Kaushik, and Shivani advance to gold medal bouts in Brasília, Brazi. (Photo credit: WAI/Instagram)
India delivered a strong performance at the 17th World Wushu Championships in Brasília, Brazil, with three women advancing to the finals and two men progressing in the knockout stages.
In the women’s 52 kg semifinal, Aparna defeated Indonesia’s Tharisa Dea Florientina to secure a place in the gold medal bout. She will face Vietnam’s Ngo Thi Phuong Nga in the final.
In the 60 kg category, Kareena Kaushik moved into the final after beating Brazil’s Nathalia Briquesi Silva and will take on China’s Xiaowei Wu for the title.
Shivani, competing in the 75 kg bracket, overcame Russia’s Ekaterina Valchuk to reach the final against Iran’s Shahrbano Mansouriyaan Semiromi.
On the men’s side, Sagar Dahiya advanced to the 56 kg semifinal and will meet Carlos Baylon Jr of the Philippines for a spot in the final.
Vikrant Baliyan is set to face China’s Gensheng Jin in the 75 kg quarterfinal, aiming to join his teammates in the medal rounds.
India has previously recorded notable success at the World Wushu Championships. In 2017, Pooja Kadian earned the country’s first-ever gold medal in the women’s 75 kg Sanda category.
Two years later, Praveen Kumar became the first Indian male athlete to win gold at the event, clinching the men’s 48 kg Sanda title.
With three women already confirmed as finalists and two men still in contention, India remains in strong contention for medals at this edition of the championships.
