Maroulis edged by Pooja Dhanda as her Haryana Hammers lose to NCR Punjab Royals in India Pro League finals
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
NEW DELHI, India - 2016 Olympic champion and two-time World champion Helen Maroulis (New York, N.Y./Sunkist Kids) was edged 3-2 by Pooja Dhanda of India in the 57 kg women’s match in the final dual meet of the third season of the India Professional Wrestling League.
Maroulis’ Haryana Hammers team was defeated by the defending champion NCR Punjab Royals, 6-3, in the championship dual meet of the season.
Maroulis led the match 1-0 at the break, after receiving a point on a passivity against Pooja Dhanda. In the second period, the top ranked wrestler from India scored her three points to secure the win.
It was the second time that Pooja Dhanda, a two-time Commonwealth Championships gold medalist, had beaten Maroulis during the India Pro League season. In the regular season dual meet on January 16, Pooja Dhanda won a wild 7-6 match.
In the finals dual, the three winners for the Haryana Hammers on Friday were Olympic and World champion Vladimir Khinchegashvili of Georgia (men’s 57 kg), World champion Khetag Tsabolov of Russia (men’s 76 kg), World champion Sun Yanan of China (women’s 50 kg).
Maroulis finished the season with a 3-2 record, and did not compete in two dual meets for medical reasons.
She is the third U.S. athlete to compete in the India Professional Wrestling League. In season one, women wrestlers Adeline Gray and Alyssa Lampe were competitors in the league.
FINALS – NCR Punjab Royals 6, Haryana Hammers 3
57 kg men – Vledimer Khinchegashvili (Haryana Hammers) dec. Naveen Kumar (NCR Punjab Royals), 4-0
62 kg women – Anastasija Grigorjeva (NCR Punjab Royals) dec. Srita (Haryana Hammers), 7-2
74 kg men – Khetag Tsabolov (Haryana Hammers) dec. Jitender (NCR Punjab Royals), 15-0
76 kg women – Koumba Larroque (NCR Punjab Royals) dec. Pooja (Haryana Hammers), 7-0
125 kg men – Geno Petriashvili (NCR Punjab Royals) dec. Sumit (Haryana Hammers), 16-0
57 kg women – Pooja Dhanda (NCR Punjab Royals) dec. Helen Maroulis (Haryana Hammers), 3-2
65 kg men – Zurabi Iakobishvili (NCR Punjab Royals) dec. Kanan Mor (Haryana Hammers), 4-0
48 kg women – Sun Yanan (Haryana Hammers) dec. Nirmali Devi (NCR Punjab Royals), 10-3
92 kg men – Mausam Khatri (NCR Punjab Royals) dec. Roublejit Singh Rangi (Haryana Hammers), 4-2
Helen Maroulis schedule and results
Wednesday, January 10 – WIN over Marwa Amri of Tunisia (Veer Marathas), 9-1/pin
Friday, January 12 –WIN over Sangeeta Phogat of India (Delhi Sultans), 6-6/pin
Tuesday, January 16 – LOSS to Pooja Dhanda of India (NCR Punjab Royals), 7-6
Saturday, January 20 – vs. Mumbai Maharathi – did not compete
Tuesday, January 23 – vs. UP Dangal – did not compete
Thursday, January 25 – Semifinal – WIN over Vanesa Kaladzinskya of Belarus (UP Dangal), 5-4
Friday, January 26 – Finals – LOSS to Pooja Dhanda of India (NCR Punjab Royals), 3-2
Maroulis’ Haryana Hammers team was defeated by the defending champion NCR Punjab Royals, 6-3, in the championship dual meet of the season.
Maroulis led the match 1-0 at the break, after receiving a point on a passivity against Pooja Dhanda. In the second period, the top ranked wrestler from India scored her three points to secure the win.
It was the second time that Pooja Dhanda, a two-time Commonwealth Championships gold medalist, had beaten Maroulis during the India Pro League season. In the regular season dual meet on January 16, Pooja Dhanda won a wild 7-6 match.
In the finals dual, the three winners for the Haryana Hammers on Friday were Olympic and World champion Vladimir Khinchegashvili of Georgia (men’s 57 kg), World champion Khetag Tsabolov of Russia (men’s 76 kg), World champion Sun Yanan of China (women’s 50 kg).
Maroulis finished the season with a 3-2 record, and did not compete in two dual meets for medical reasons.
She is the third U.S. athlete to compete in the India Professional Wrestling League. In season one, women wrestlers Adeline Gray and Alyssa Lampe were competitors in the league.
FINALS – NCR Punjab Royals 6, Haryana Hammers 3
57 kg men – Vledimer Khinchegashvili (Haryana Hammers) dec. Naveen Kumar (NCR Punjab Royals), 4-0
62 kg women – Anastasija Grigorjeva (NCR Punjab Royals) dec. Srita (Haryana Hammers), 7-2
74 kg men – Khetag Tsabolov (Haryana Hammers) dec. Jitender (NCR Punjab Royals), 15-0
76 kg women – Koumba Larroque (NCR Punjab Royals) dec. Pooja (Haryana Hammers), 7-0
125 kg men – Geno Petriashvili (NCR Punjab Royals) dec. Sumit (Haryana Hammers), 16-0
57 kg women – Pooja Dhanda (NCR Punjab Royals) dec. Helen Maroulis (Haryana Hammers), 3-2
65 kg men – Zurabi Iakobishvili (NCR Punjab Royals) dec. Kanan Mor (Haryana Hammers), 4-0
48 kg women – Sun Yanan (Haryana Hammers) dec. Nirmali Devi (NCR Punjab Royals), 10-3
92 kg men – Mausam Khatri (NCR Punjab Royals) dec. Roublejit Singh Rangi (Haryana Hammers), 4-2
Helen Maroulis schedule and results
Wednesday, January 10 – WIN over Marwa Amri of Tunisia (Veer Marathas), 9-1/pin
Friday, January 12 –WIN over Sangeeta Phogat of India (Delhi Sultans), 6-6/pin
Tuesday, January 16 – LOSS to Pooja Dhanda of India (NCR Punjab Royals), 7-6
Saturday, January 20 – vs. Mumbai Maharathi – did not compete
Tuesday, January 23 – vs. UP Dangal – did not compete
Thursday, January 25 – Semifinal – WIN over Vanesa Kaladzinskya of Belarus (UP Dangal), 5-4
Friday, January 26 – Finals – LOSS to Pooja Dhanda of India (NCR Punjab Royals), 3-2
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