Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, May 27: India delivered a dominant performance at the U23 Asian Wrestling Championships in Da Nang, Vietnam, with the men’s freestyle team emerging as overall champions and lifting the coveted Team Championship Trophy after finishing at the top of the standings.
India outperformed traditional wrestling powerhouses Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, which secured second and third places respectively in the freestyle category.
The freestyle triumph marked the highlight of a remarkable campaign for the Indian contingent, which concluded the tournament with an impressive tally of 27 medals — including 11 gold, seven silver, and nine bronze medals — across freestyle, women’s wrestling, and Greco-Roman disciplines.
The Indian men’s freestyle squad contributed nine medals to the overall tally, comprising four gold, three silver, and two bronze medals. Akshay T Dhere in the 57kg category and Vicky in the 97kg division secured crucial gold medals early in the competition. Kumar Mohit (65kg) and Chandermohan (79kg) further strengthened India’s dominance by clinching gold in their respective weight categories.
Deepak Rathi (61kg), Punit Kumar (92kg), and Lacky (125kg) earned silver medals after strong performances in the finals, while Deepak Berwal (74kg) and Mor Sachin (82kg) added bronze medals to help India secure the overall freestyle crown.
Reacting to the achievement, Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Sanjay Singh described the victory as a landmark moment for Indian wrestling.
He said the wrestlers displayed exceptional determination and technical excellence to finish ahead of leading wrestling nations, adding that the overall performance across all three styles reflected the bright future of Indian wrestling.
India’s women wrestlers also produced a commanding display, winning a total of 10 medals, including six golds. Muskan (53kg), Tapasya (57kg), Bhagyashree (62kg), Pulkit (67kg), Mansi (68kg), and Kajal (76kg) emerged as champions in their respective categories with dominant performances in the finals.
Neha (59kg) and Sweety (50kg) secured silver medals, while Amruta (72kg) and Ahilya (55kg) finished with bronze medals to further boost India’s medal tally.
In the Greco-Roman section, Indian wrestlers added eight more medals to the campaign. Sumit captured gold in the 63kg category, while Suraj (60kg) and Sagar Singh (67kg) claimed silver medals.
Bronze medals were won by Neeraj Patel (55kg), Sachin (77kg), Rohit Bura (87kg), Rohit (97kg), and Hardeep (130kg), completing a highly successful outing for the Indian team.
With the U23 competition now concluded, attention will shift to the upcoming U17 Asian Wrestling Championships, which are scheduled to begin in Da Nang from Wednesday, with opening bouts starting at 10 AM local time.