Sri Lanka’s Nethmi Ahimsa Fernando has achieved a notable milestone by winning a bronze medal at the Under-20 World Wrestling Championship held in Pontevedra, Spain.
In the bronze medal match, Ahimsa, a 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, secured a 6-2 victory over neutral athlete Valeria Mikitsich.
Earlier in the tournament, Ahimsa won her qualifying match against Kazakhstan’s Yengilik Kabylbek with a dominating 10-0 score. However, she faced a setback in the quarter-finals, losing 10-0 to Bulgaria’s Nikol Krasimirova.
In the quarter-finals, Ahimsa bounced back by defeating Hungary’s Liliana Kapuvari with a score of 14-3, earning a spot in the semifinals. There, she narrowly lost 2-2 to Jin Zhang of China, which led her to the bronze medal match.
This achievement marks the highest accolade for a Sri Lankan wrestler in an international tournament, showcasing Ahimsa’s remarkable talent and determination.