Judoka Garima qualifies for Olympics on Asian quota

Garima Choudhary clinched a continental quota place and emerged the only Indian judoka to qualify for the upcoming London Olympics.

She made the cut in the 63kg category on the basis of the latest rankings released by the International Judo Federation (IJF).

The 22-year-old, who finished seventh at the recent Asian Judo Championships at Tashkent, is ranked 88th in her category with 34 points, while the other player to clinch the Asian quota is Turkmenistan's 63rd ranked Gulnar Hayytbaeva.

Garima picked four vital points from the Warsaw World Cup and World Championships in Paris last year to get into the reckoning for the Olympic slot.

"It's a dream come true for any athlete to compete at the biggest stage like the Olympics. I am fortunate to make the grade," said the Meerut girl.

Meanwhile, secretary-general of the Judo Federation of India (JFI) Mukesh Kumar said they are planning to send Garima to Cuba or Paris for training and exposure.

"A month-long training before the Games is good, as Garima will be able to hone her skills in the company of good competitors," said Kumar.

Tombi Devi and Divya Sharma had represented India in the 2008 Beijing Games.

Tombi failed to qualify in the face of some tough competition in the 48kg category at Tashkent but Divya has given up judo since the last Games.