Former Sports Minister Anurag Thakur has called for the inclusion of popular sports like arm wrestling and Mallakhamb in the Olympics, citing their growing global popularity. His remarks came during the opening of the 47th WAF World Armwrestling Championship in New Delhi, an event also attended by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, who pledged full government support.
India's first woman Senior World Wrestling Championships gold medallist, Manisha Bhanwala, attributes her mental toughness and success to the rigorous schedule and international exposure gained from the Pro Wrestling League (PWL). She highlights how PWL's back-to-back bouts and shared training with global stars prepared her for high-pressure situations, especially after her Asian Games disappointment. Manisha also looks forward to PWL Season 6 for Olympic qualification practice and believes the league helps popularise wrestling's technical aspects.
Indian wrestler Neelam Sirohi won a silver medal in the women's 50kg final at the World Wrestling Championships in Astana, losing to Japanese legend Yui Susaki. This achievement makes her only the second Indian woman, after Anshu Malik, to secure a silver at the global event. Neelam's journey to the final included a dominant win in the semifinals, and her performance marks a significant milestone for Indian women's wrestling.
Indian wrestler Manisha Bhanwala has advanced to the women's 59kg final at the World Wrestling Championships in Astana. She secured her spot with a dominant win by fall over Kazakhstan's Altyn Shagayeva, leading 10-0 before the pin. Manisha is now the third Indian to reach a gold medal bout at this edition, aiming to end India's wait for a world champion. She will compete against Pan American champion Abigail Elizabeth Nette in the final.
Manisha Bhanwala has made history by becoming India's first woman World Champion in wrestling, securing a gold medal in the women's 59kg final at the World Championships. She achieved a remarkable comeback, overcoming a six-point deficit against American Abigail Nette to win 8-6 on Friday. This triumph marks a significant milestone for Indian wrestling, following only legendary Sushil Kumar's feat in 2010.
Kajal Dhochak secured a silver medal in the women's 76kg category at the World Wrestling Championships after a close final loss to Anastasiya Alpyeyeva on Wednesday. This marked India's second silver of the day, with Neelam Sirohi also finishing second in the 50kg category, making it a historic day for Indian women's wrestling.
Indian wrestlers Tanu Sharma and Neelam Sirohi, who secured bronze and silver respectively at the Senior World Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, share their experiences, challenges, and future aspirations. Tanu discusses overcoming injuries and her dream of representing India, while Neelam reflects on years of perseverance and her goal for Olympic qualification. Both athletes were warmly welcomed upon their return to India.
Manisha Bhanwala became India's first woman wrestling world champion, dedicating her historic gold medal victory to her late father, Suresh, whose dream it was for her to achieve this feat. Her journey was marked by personal tragedy and immense resilience, culminating in a powerful display of dedication.
Indian wrestler Lalit staged a remarkable comeback to stay in contention for a medal in the 55kg category at the World Wrestling Championship in Astana. Despite trailing significantly, he secured a 9-7 victory. However, three other Indian Greco Roman wrestlers, Harsh, Lovepreet Singh, and Prince, were eliminated on the opening day.
Indian wrestler Manisha Bhanwala has advanced to the women's 59kg final at the World Championships in Astana, securing her spot with dominant victories. This achievement offers India another chance to clinch a world champion title. Meanwhile, Sujeet Kalkal's impressive winning streak ended with a quarterfinal defeat, and Tanu secured a bronze medal in the 72kg category.
The Pro Wrestling League (PWL) is set to kick off its sixth season from January 9 to 26 next year in New Delhi, featuring 86 grapplers, including 34 international medallists. Six franchises will compete across Olympic weight categories, with Indian Asian Games medallists and Japanese Olympic champion Yui Susaki among the participants.
Indian women wrestlers concluded their campaign at the U23 World Wrestling Championships with two medals. Amruta Pujari secured a silver in the 72kg category, while Komal won a bronze in the 59kg division. The men's freestyle team, however, had a disappointing outing, failing to reach any medal rounds.
Nitesh Siwach, a 23-year-old Greco-Roman wrestler from Haryana, secured a silver medal at the Asian Games in Japan. His journey is remarkable, having worked as a milkman for two years after a knee operation before returning to wrestling. He hopes for Greco-Roman wrestling to be included in the Pro Wrestling League.
India's wrestling campaign at the Asian Games will be spearheaded by Sujeet Kalkal, Antim Panghal, and Aman Sehrawat, all of whom face challenging draws. Sujeet is in red-hot form but could meet Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka, while Antim Panghal eyes a strong performance against Zhang Jin. Olympic medallist Aman Sehrawat also has a tough path, potentially facing another Olympic medallist early on. The wider Indian contingent also features medal hopefuls across freestyle, women's, and Greco-Roman categories.
Himanshu Dhillon, on his 21st birthday, won the silver medal in the men's 10m air rifle at the Asian Games.
India's Amruta Pujari has stormed into the women's 72kg final at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships, while Komal secured a bronze medal in the 59kg category. Sweety and Vaishnavi Patil are also in contention for bronze through repechage, adding to Vishvajit More's earlier silver medal.
Indian wrestlers Jaskaran Singh and Chandermohan have advanced to the bronze medal bouts in their respective weight categories at the U23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas. Rohit and Shivan also remain in contention for medals through the repechage rounds, while Sumit Bharaskar's campaign concluded.
India's Nitesh Siwach secured a silver medal in Greco Roman wrestling at the Asian Games in Nagoya, losing to Japan's Yuri Nakazato. This result extends India's wait for a Greco Roman gold since 1962.
Sujeet Kalkal clinched the Asian Games gold medal in the men's 65kg wrestling category, overcoming strong rivals including an Olympic champion. He demonstrated remarkable resilience by coming from behind in the final to secure his first Asian Games title.
Indian wrestler Antim Panghal, a two-time senior World medallist and U-20 world champion, expresses her ambition to create records that will never be broken. She reveals her motivation stems from her family and coaches, not personal glory, and discusses her evolving strategy and rigorous preparation for upcoming competitions.
Indian Greco Roman wrestler Sunil Kumar secured a bronze medal in the men's 87kg category at the Asian Games, defeating Roberts Callum Johnston of the Philippines.
Indian wrestling coach Virender Dahiya and wrestler Antim Panghal have expressed strong confidence in the national team's preparation and potential for the upcoming Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Dahiya believes the team will significantly improve on its previous medal tally, while Panghal highlights the strong team cohesion and gold medal aspirations. The squad features a mix of experienced and young talent, aiming to overcome strong regional competitors.
Indian wrestler Aman Sehrawat won the men's 57kg gold medal at the Asian Games, defeating North Korea's world champion Chong Song Han in the final.
Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat and Antim Panghal have secured their spots in the men's 57kg and women's 53kg finals, respectively, at the Asian Games in Nagoya. Both wrestlers, who previously won bronze at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, are now poised to compete for gold.
India achieved a respectable fourth-place finish in the Asian Games medals tally, securing 85 medals including 21 gold, driven by a significant late surge in boxing, archery, wrestling, and hockey, despite initial setbacks in shooting and athletics.
Indian Greco-Roman wrestler Vishvajit More secured a silver medal at the U23 World Championship in Las Vegas, becoming the first Indian to achieve this feat. He lost a close final to Georgia's Koba Karumidze. Komal and Diksha Malik are still in contention for bronze medals in the women's event.
Indian Greco Roman wrestler Sunil Kumar made a strong start at the Asian Games, advancing to the men's 87kg semifinals with a dominant technical superiority victory.
Nishu has won the 53kg category at the national selection trials, setting up a final bout against Asian Games-bound Antim Panghal for a spot in the Senior World Wrestling Championships. Other wrestlers like Kajal, Simran, Neelam, Tapsya, and Srishti also secured top positions in their respective weight categories, showcasing the depth of talent in Indian wrestling.
Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal has advanced to the men's 65kg semifinals at the Asian Games after securing two dominant victories, including a technical superiority win against Iran's Abbas Ebrahimzadehsavadkouhi. Meanwhile, three other Indian wrestlers faced early exits from the competition.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has decided to send separate teams to the U23 Senior World Wrestling Championship and the Senior World Wrestling Championship due to the short interval between the two events, aiming to ensure optimal preparation and performance for Indian wrestlers.
Greco Roman wrestler Deepak has failed a dope test, leading to his withdrawal from the Asian Games contingent. This marks the third doping case for Indian wrestling ahead of the continental event, further reducing India's representation. The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) found clomifene in his sample, a prohibited substance. The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) decided to withdraw him to avoid potential penalties from the world governing body.
Olympian Vinesh Phogat has moved the Delhi High Court challenging two show-cause notices issued by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and subsequent disciplinary proceedings.
Indian wrestler Manisha Bhanwala, fresh off her historic senior World Championships gold, is now focused on winning a medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. She attributes her strength and determination to the enduring memory and guidance of her late father, who introduced her to wrestling.
The Delhi High Court has directed the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to decide on show-cause notices issued to wrestler Vinesh Phogat within two weeks, acknowledging concerns that pending disciplinary proceedings could hinder her preparations for upcoming competitions.
Former Indian wrestler Sangram Singh is set to compete against Malta's Wallochon in an MMA bout at the FightStar Championship 39 in London on December 19. Singh, who made his MMA debut in 2024, has a strong record with previous wins and is also a two-time Commonwealth Heavyweight Wrestling Champion.
India is sending a 35-member contingent, including 17 athletes, to the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, starting on Saturday. Former shot-putter Om Prakash Karhana will serve as the chef-de-mission. The team features promising young talents like table tennis player Syndrela Das and swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu, aiming to build on India's previous best performance of 13 medals in 2018.
Asian Games medallists Aman Sehrawat and Antim Panghal have withdrawn from the World Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan. Sujeet Kalkal, an Asian Games gold medallist, will lead the Indian contingent. The article also details the full Indian squads across men's freestyle, women's freestyle, and Greco-Roman categories, alongside a controversy regarding a selection bout.
Indian wrestlers faced a challenging day at the World Wrestling Championships in Astana, with most failing to advance past the pre-quarterfinal stage. Despite some promising starts, including a strong comeback by Nikhil, key athletes were eliminated, though Manisha Bhanwala is set to compete for gold later.
The Delhi High Court has directed the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to decide on two show-cause notices issued to grappler Vinesh Phogat within two weeks. The notices concern alleged anti-doping rule violations and misconduct. The court emphasized the need for a sportsperson to be mentally relaxed for competitive events and stated that any decision taken after two weeks would be held in abeyance until January 20, 2027. Phogat's petition challenges these notices, which she claims are arbitrary and impede her return to competitive wrestling.
India is sending a 17-member contingent, led by table tennis player Syndrela Das and swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu, to the Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Senegal. The team will compete in 11 sports, with athletes like Sarthak Arya viewing the event as a crucial stepping stone for future Olympic aspirations. IOA president P T Usha highlighted the Games' importance for developing future Indian champions.
