Was Wrestler Nisha Dahiya's Hurt By North Korean Opponent? Coach Claims So

Wrestler Nisha Dahiya reportedly suffered an arm injury during the 68kg freestyle quarterfinal tournament, leading to her defeat by North Korea's Sol Gum Pak at the Paris Olympics. The 25-year-old Olympic debutante was in the lead, just two points away from a semi-final qualification, before the painful injury. Her coach, Virender Dahiya, has stirred controversy by accusing the opponent of internationally causing harm and throwing the Indian athlete off her game. 

What Happened At The Match?

India's Nisha Dahiya was unstoppable at the beginning of the match, leading with a score of 8-1 against Pak. However, the tournament was halted as her hand got injured and she had to get medical attention. The doctors taped two of her fingers together before the game resumed.

In the second bout, Dahiya was seen clutching her wrist in pain, again pausing the game with just 33 seconds left. When the match resumed again, the North Korean's score began to shoot up and eventually levelled the score to 8-8. During the final 12 seconds, Dahiya had to get her right shoulder checked.

When the game resumed again, Sol Gum Pak went for a takedown and finished with a 10-8 win to secure the semi-final quota. Dahiya was seen sobbing uncontrollably after the unfortunate defeat. She was immediately given medical attention and later taken to a healthcare facility in the Games Village.

Indian Nisha Dahiya was leading the game 8-2 until the thirty seconds before the final. Then she got a shoulder injury and lost 10-8.

That was the reaction of her and the crowd after the game.

Heartbreaking 💔 #Paris2024 #OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/3gkKixx29G

— AEK (@zoranbata) August 5, 2024

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said in a statement, "Wrestler Nisha sustained a severe shoulder injury during her bout today. It required reduction and MRI. She has been ruled out of the competition. The course of her treatment will be planned after further tests are performed."

Coach Suspicious Over Dahiya's Injury

As Nisha Dahiya's Olympic campaign came to an untimely end, her coach, Virender Dahiya, speculated that the North Korean athlete "intentionally" caused harm to the Indian. Speaking to Press Trust of India, he alleged that the opponents "sent instructions" to their wrestler to injure Nisha.

The Indian national team trainer said, "It was 100 percent intentional, they hurt her intentionally. We had seen, there was an instruction from the Korean corner. They attacked the joint. They have taken away the medal from her. The way Nisha had started, the medal was in her neck and it has been taken away."

Virender Dahiya recalled Nisha's promising performance in previous tournaments and other international sporting events. "The attacks were clear, the counter-attack worked and the defence was compact. She had beaten the same wrestler at the Asian Qualifier, there was no way Nisha was losing this."