India's Sandhyarani Devi had to be content with a silver medal in the Asian Games wushu competition after losing to defending champion Khadijeh Azadpour of Iran in the final of the women's 60 kg class at the Nansha Gymnasium in Guangzhou.
Sandhyarani, who was handicapped by a leg injury which she picked up in her semi-final win against Paloy Barckkham of Laos, lost 0-2 to the Iranian to fetch India's second medal in the sport after Bimoljit Singh's bronze on Tuesday.
"I could not raise my leg which was stiff following the injury sustained in the semi-finals. I was trying to throw her down with my arms but could not accomplish that too. I was targeting the gold but could not perform to potential because of the injury," said the 27-year-old Manipur, who won a bronze in the 2008 Asian Championship in Macau.
The CRPF employee said she had to move up the weight class for the Games from 56 to 60 kg because there was no competition in her original weight category.
Azadpour, who defeated Wu Tzu Yi of Taipei in the semi-finals with a heavily strapped leg, was the more aggressive of the two finalists and was the unanimous winner in both the rounds.
The Iranian once threw Sandhyarani outside the area and every time the Indian had the chance to catch her leg, she wriggled out of danger with alacrity.
"I am happy to win a medal," said Sandhyarani after providing the country with the second medal in wushu following the Bimoljit's bronze in the men's 60kg category.
Bimoljit was beaten also by an Iranian, Mohammed Seifi in the semis.
