The 2025 season in Indian wrestling unfolded as a year of sharp contrasts. At the senior international level, medals were scarce and margins unforgiving.
Yet beneath those results lay a deeper story of structural change, technical evolution, and unprecedented success in age-group wrestling. Together, these strands reveal a sport in transition moving away from dependence on individual stars toward a more sustainable, system-driven future aimed squarely at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Read Articles Without Ads On Your IndiaSportsHub App. Download Now And Stay Updated
India’s senior campaign was anchored by Antim Panghal, who once again proved her reliability at the highest level. Competing in the 53kg category at the World Championships in Zagreb, Panghal claimed a bronze medal her second consecutive Worlds podium becoming only the second Indian woman after Vinesh Phogat to achieve this feat.
Her path to the medal reflected both maturity and tactical growth. Panghal registered commanding wins over Spain’s Carla Soler and China’s Zhang Jin before losing narrowly to Paris 2024 silver medallist Lucía Yépez in the semi-finals. In the bronze bout, she dominated Sweden’s Jonna Malmgren 9–1, showcasing a defensive solidity that has become her hallmark in recent seasons.
Beyond the medal, Panghal’s 2025 season stood out for its emphasis on technical refinement. Training stints in Japan and ranking series performances indicated a conscious shift toward closing the gap with the world’s elite — a crucial step as the women’s freestyle field continues to deepen globally.
Emerging Men’s Contenders and Missed Opportunities
While medals eluded most of the men’s contingent, performances by Sujeet Kalkal and Suraj Vashisht offered glimpses of progress. Kalkal’s gold at the Budapest Ranking Series including a demolition of Paris Olympic medallist Islam Dudaev announced his arrival as a genuine contender in the 65kg class.
At the World Championships, Kalkal pushed Iran’s Rahman Amouzad to the brink in a narrow 5–6 loss, a bout that underscored India’s shrinking technical gap with freestyle powerhouses. Similarly, Greco-Roman wrestler Suraj Vashisht’s victory over former world champion Victor Ciobanu marked a rare high point for India in a discipline where international success has historically been limited.
Read Articles Without Ads On Your IndiaSportsHub App. Download Now And Stay Updated
One of the most consequential moments of the season came off the mat. Paris Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat was disqualified at the World Championships after missing weight by 1.7 kg, triggering a one-year suspension from the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). Though the ban was later reconsidered, the incident exposed recurring issues around weight management problems that have plagued Indian wrestling across multiple cycles.
The WFI’s firm response reflected a broader institutional shift in 2025. With repeated high-profile weight failures and discipline concerns, the federation moved decisively toward stricter accountability, setting the stage for sweeping governance reforms later in the year.
Asian Championships: Competitive but Not Dominant
India finished the Asian Wrestling Championships with 10 medals, including a standout gold from Manisha Bhanwala in the women’s 62kg category. Her dramatic comeback win against North Korea’s Ok J Kim marked India’s first women’s freestyle gold at the event since 2021.
However, the overall eighth-place finish on the medal table highlighted India’s continued struggle to convert depth into dominance at the senior continental level, particularly against Iran, Japan, and Central Asian nations.
Age-Group Supremacy: The Real Story of 2025
If senior wrestling reflected transition, age-group wrestling defined triumph. India’s juniors and under-23 wrestlers delivered one of the most dominant years in the nation’s history. At the U17 World Championships, India’s women defended their team title, finishing ahead of the USA and Japan. Gold medals from Rachana, Ashvini Vishnoi, Sitender, and Greco-Roman heavyweight Hardeep underlined a generation technically prepared and mentally resilient.
The momentum continued at the U20 Worlds, where India won nine medals, and peaked at the U23 World Championships in Novi Sad. There, the Indian women’s team claimed a historic team gold, while Sujeet Kalkal capped his year with a dominant 10–0 final win, reinforcing his credentials as a future senior leader.
This sustained age-group excellence suggests that India’s development pathways particularly in women’s wrestling are now among the strongest globally.
Recognising that junior success must translate into senior medals, the WFI introduced a comprehensive overhaul of its selection and training framework in late 2025. Mandatory national camps, the abolition of trial exemptions, restrictions on independent training, and national ownership of Olympic quotas marked a decisive break from past practices.
The federation also initiated the recruitment of foreign coaches across disciplines, aiming to integrate Iranian, Japanese, and Eastern European expertise ahead of the 2026 Asian Games and the LA 2028 cycle.
The roadmap to 2028 is already crowded with compelling narratives. Vinesh Phogat’s announced comeback, Ravi Dahiya’s move to 65kg, and the return of the Pro Wrestling League in 2026 will add competitive intensity to an already deep domestic ecosystem. At the same time, cases like Reetika Hooda’s doping suspension serve as reminders that growth must be matched by ethical oversight and scientific athlete management.
Read Articles Without Ads On Your IndiaSportsHub App. Download Now And Stay Updated
Indian wrestling in 2025 stood at a crossroads. Senior results exposed limitations, but age-group dominance and institutional reform offered hope. With a robust youth pipeline, stricter governance, and renewed professional structures, India is no longer rebuilding blindly it is recalibrating with intent.
Whether this transformation culminates in Olympic success at Los Angeles will depend on one crucial factor: converting potential into precision when it matters most.
