Garima qualifies for Olympics through Asian quota

New Delhi: Garima Choudhary on Wednesday clinched the continental quota place to be the only Indian judoka to qualify for the upcoming London Olympics.

Garima 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 have clinched the Asian quota is Turkmenistan`s 63rd ranked Gulnar Hayytbaeva. Garima would be the lone Indian to represent the country in the discipline of Judo in the Olympics. Garima had earned four vital points during the Warsaw World Cup and the World Championships in Paris last year to be in 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 Judo Federation of India (JFI), Mukesh Kumar said they were 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 had failed to qualify in the face of some tough competition in her 48kg category at Tashkent but Divya has given up judo since the last Games. PTI