Wrestler Geeta dedicates gold medal to dad

Haryana's Geeta won India's first ever gold medal in women's wrestling in the 55kg freestyle category at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi on Thursday.

The hosts also got a silver in the 48 kg freestyle category in which Nirmala Devi lost her title round bout against Canadian opponent Carol Huynh.

Suman Kundu got India its third medal from the competition winning her bronze medal play-off in the 63 kg category.

Geeta, from Bhiwani, who had earlier won gold in the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship, literally toyed with her Australian opponent Emily Bensted by pinning her down in the second round with still a few seconds left for the bout to end. Geeta had enjoyed a whopping lead of 8-1.

The Indian grappler controlled the proceedings right from the start and never let her opponent make a comeback.

She repeatedly got points employing the flipper tactic, catching the opponent's leg and trying to pin her down.

"I never expected the finals to be such a one-sided affair. I believe my semi-final bout against the Nigerian girl (Lovina Odohi Edwards) was a tougher battle. Comparatively the final was an easy one," an ecstatic Geeta said after her convincing victory.

"I was always confident of doing well having won the gold in the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship earlier this year," she added.

The girl, who hails from that part of India which has produced champion boxers like Vijender Singh, Akhil Kumar, dedicated the gold medal-winning performance to her father Mahavir Singh, who also doubles up as her coach.

"My father is a former wrestler. I have learnt the tricks of the game from him. I owe my success to my father," she said.

Even Sam Parker, the Aussie wrestling coach was all praise for Indian girl.

"She (Geeta) was very good and that's why she won the bout. But I am happy about my ward (Emily)'s performance," Parker said.