Indian wrestler Reetika Hooda’s journey at the Paris Olympics came to a close on Saturday, as she lost a closely contested quarter-final bout against Aiperi Medet Kyzy of Kyrgyzstan in the women’s 76 kg freestyle category. The match, characterized by intense defensive strategies from both athletes, ended in a 1-1 draw, but Kyzy advanced on criteria, having secured the last equalizing point.

The bout was a display of high-level defensive wrestling, with neither wrestler willing to give an inch. The first point for each competitor was awarded through passivity, a situation where the referee penalizes inactivity by granting a point to the opponent. Despite several attempts, neither wrestler could execute a scoring move, leading to a tense and tactical battle on the mat.

After six minutes of regulation time, the score was locked at 1-1. However, under wrestling rules, the wrestler who scores the last point in such a scenario is declared the winner, which gave Kyzy the edge and the win.

Reetika Hooda, who had shown great promise leading up to the quarter-finals, fought valiantly but was unable to break through Kyzy’s solid defense. This loss marks the end of her Olympic campaign, though her performance has earned her recognition as one of India’s emerging talents in wrestling.

Aiperi Medet Kyzy, now advancing to the semi-finals, will continue her quest for Olympic gold, while Hooda will return to the drawing board, gaining valuable experience from her first Olympic appearance.