At Asian C'ships, Hooda learns a lesson the hard way

Wrestler Reetika Hooda slips in a Haryanvi saying with some zest amid all her Hindi soft-spokenness.

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It roughly translates to third time's the charm, and points to her losing to the same seasoned Kyrgyzstan opponent in her two previous tournament outings.

The most recent was at last week's Asian Championships final in Amman, where twotime World Championships medallist Aiperi Medet Kyzy snatched the 76kg gold from the Under-23 world champion Indian's grasp.

"Gold reh gaya (I left the gold)," Reetika, 22, said.

"It was important to win gold. But I'm kind of happy with the silver too; also because I got to learn from it in the way I wrestled."

Kyzy, 26, had also got the better of Reetika at last year's Paris Olympics. Both bouts, however, were tactically distinct.

While that Olympic Games quarter-final was a cagey catand-mouse defensive duel that ended 1-1 (both scored a passivity point) against Reetika on criteria, this Asian Championships final was more frenetically attacking that appeared to drift towards Reetika on a 6-2 lead, until Aiperi swung it around with around 10 seconds to go for a 7-6 win.