Jinnat wins Bronze despite two-minute defeat

Jinnat Akter had to settle for a bronze medal in the women’s 52kg fight event in wushu. Her medal had already been assured the previous day. She secured Bangladesh’s first medal in an individual event in 40 years.

Jinnat reached the semifinals after receiving byes in the first two rounds. As there were 15 competitors, an odd number, a lottery was held to determine which competitor would receive a direct entry to the quarterfinals. Jinnat was fortunate to win the draw.

She was scheduled to face an Indonesian competitor in the quarterfinals. However, when the Indonesian athlete was weighed before the match on Tuesday evening, she was found to be slightly over the 52kg limit. She was therefore disqualified, allowing Jinnat to advance to the semifinals without having to compete.

However, in today’s semifinal, Jinnat could not put up much of a challenge against her strong Chinese opponent. She lost 4-0 to Wu Di in just two minutes. Under the rules of the Games, reaching the semifinals guarantees a bronze medal.