TNNChandigarh: Ishroop Narang, 19, emerged as one of the standout performers in the women’s under 78kg category, displaying grit and composure throughout the competition. She began her campaign with a hard-fought golden score victory over Scotland’s Nicole Wood to book a place in the quarterfinals.Although Narang lost to England’s Emma Reid in the last eight, she responded strongly in the repechage, defeating Cameroon’s Georgika Wesly Djengue Moune with a determined performance to earn a place in the bronze medal contest.In the bronze medal match, Narang faced Canada’s Coralie Godbout in a closely fought contest that remained scoreless in regulation and extended into golden score. After receiving a crucial shido penalty, Narang continued to push for an opening, but Godbout eventually scored a yuko to seal the bronze medal. Despite narrowly missing out on the podium, Narang’s performance was one of the highlights of the tournament.Coach Vivek Thakur praised the young judoka’s maturity and tactical approach. “Ishroop played fearlessly and with remarkable composure throughout the day. She managed every bout tactically according to the situation and maintained her focus from start to finish,” he said.He added that she was never confused, kept attacking consistently, and executed the instructions given from the coaching area extremely well. “This is one of the biggest stages in judo, and considering she is still a junior and very young for this level, her performance was outstanding. It is a significant milestone in her career and gives us great confidence for the future,” he said.
