India’s Greco-Roman Wrestling in Crisis: Lessons from a Winless Day at the U23 World Wrestling Championships

U23 World Wrestling Championships
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The opening day of the 2025 U23 World Wrestling Championships in Novi Sad, Serbia, was a sobering reminder of the growing gulf between India’s Greco-Roman wrestlers and the world’s best.

In a competition meant to showcase the next generation of talent, India’s campaign started and ended on Day 1 itself, as all four Indian wrestlers crashed out in their opening bouts without registering a single victory.

The defeats were not marginal; they were emphatic, exposing both technical and systemic shortcomings. The Indian quartet Gaurav (63kg), Ankit (77kg), Rohit Bura (87kg), and Joginder Rathee (130kg) were all eliminated via Technical Superiority or Fall, the two most decisive forms of loss in Greco-Roman wrestling.

Each bout followed a distressingly similar pattern early pressure from the opponents, quick scoring sequences, and no answers from the Indian side.

63kg (Gaurav) lost to Kyrgyzstan’s Kuttubek Abdurazakov by Technical Superiority (8-point margin). Unable to defend in par terre, Gaurav conceded a flurry of gut wrenches and turns, a recurring weakness for Indian wrestlers at this level.

77kg (Ankit) fell to Serbia’s Zalan Pek, again by Technical Superiority. Facing a local favorite in front of a home crowd, Ankit struggled to maintain position or launch any counter-offensive.

87kg (Rohit Bura) suffered a 0–9 defeat against Payton Jacobson (USA) — an Olympian and former U23 Worlds fifth-place finisher. Jacobson dominated with upper-body control and relentless par terre offense, underlining the American’s superior preparation and conditioning.

130kg (Joginder Rathee) endured the harshest loss a pin (Fall) against Damirkhon Rakhmatov (Uzbekistan). The bout was over in moments, the Uzbek overpowering Rathee with explosive lifts and positioning that left no room for recovery.

U23 World Wrestling Championships
55kg GR – Alibek Amirov (UWW) df. Vishvajit Ramchandra More (IND) Credit UWW

None of the four opponents advanced to the gold medal bout, meaning all Indian wrestlers were denied repechage, ending their campaigns definitively on the first day.

The Bigger Picture: Systemic Cracks in the Foundation

The Novi Sad debacle is not an isolated event. It reflects long-standing deficiencies in India’s Greco-Roman (GR) system a discipline often overshadowed by the country’s celebrated Freestyle program. Greco-Roman wrestling, which forbids leg attacks and relies heavily on upper-body throws and par terre strength, demands a unique training ecosystem. Yet in India, the discipline often plays second fiddle to Freestyle, both in funding and coaching expertise. The lack of specialized preparation, exposure, and technical depth was painfully evident in Serbia.

Unlike Freestyle, where Indian wrestlers routinely win at continental and world levels, Greco-Roman has lagged for years. While India’s U23 Freestyle teams dominated the Asian Championships earlier this year with multiple gold medals and both men’s and women’s team titles, the Greco-Roman squad could only manage two bronzes a sign of the growing chasm in performance standards.

Greco-Roman wrestling is often decided in the par terre position where one wrestler defends on the mat while the other attacks from the top. Successful defense requires immense upper-body strength, core stability, and advanced anticipation. In Novi Sad, Indian wrestlers failed across the board in this aspect. The inability to defend gut wrenches or body lifts led to repeated points for opponents, often ending bouts within minutes.

The statistics are damning: three losses by Technical Superiority and one by Fall. These aren’t close matches they’re blowouts, signifying both tactical naivety and physical unpreparedness. Even in Bura’s loss to Jacobson his most instructive bout the American scored off every par terre opportunity. The Indian defense crumbled after conceding passivity calls, an area where discipline and experience are critical.

Why Freestyle Thrives and Greco-Roman Falters

The success of India’s Freestyle wrestlers is built on a robust domestic circuit, sustained foreign exposure, and access to specialized coaches. Greco-Roman lacks all three. There are no permanent high-performance centers for the discipline, no consistent national camps, and minimal international sparring. Instead, Greco-Roman often inherits wrestlers who couldn’t break into Freestyle squads athletes without the early technical grounding or body type ideal for upper-body wrestling.

The difference in physiological demands is also stark. Greco-Roman athletes require greater isometric strength, grip endurance, and core power than their Freestyle counterparts. Yet, India’s strength programs rarely differentiate between the two. As a result, while Freestyle wrestlers thrive, Greco-Roman athletes remain underprepared for the style’s unique demands.

India’s Greco-Roman program has long been plagued by inconsistent leadership. Following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualification failure, the foreign coach Temo Kasarashvili was let go, and the position has remained unstable since. The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has now promised to finalize new foreign coaching appointments across disciplines by November 15, 2025, as part of preparations for the 2026 Asian Games. But unless the focus extends beyond short-term hires and reactive measures, this cycle of crisis and temporary fixes will persist.

The lack of year-round national camps and limited sparring partners for specialized drills particularly in throws, clinches, and par terre has left the GR wrestlers technically stagnant.

Another critical flaw lies in athlete recruitment. Many of India’s Greco-Roman wrestlers are converted Freestyle athletes, lacking the body type and technical instincts for upper-body grappling. In contrast, powerhouse nations like Iran, Georgia, and Armenia begin Greco-Roman specialization at the youth level.

This late conversion model limits India’s ability to develop true GR specialists. Until scouting and grassroots programs identify athletes suited to the discipline emphasizing strength, control, and patience global competitiveness will remain elusive.

Looking Ahead: Hope Rests on Day 2

Day 2 in Novi Sad brings another opportunity with new Indian wrestlers set to compete in the 55kg, 67kg, 72kg, and 97kg categories. Among them, Vishvajit More (55kg) offers the best hope. The 2024 U23 World bronze medalist represents India’s most credible chance to halt the losing streak.

However, More faces an immediate test: a likely Round of 16 matchup against either Denis Mihai (ROU), a 2024 senior world bronze medalist, or Kenneth Crosby (USA). A win would demand not just technical precision but exceptional mental fortitude qualities that have been in short supply for India’s contingent so far.

India’s path to Greco-Roman revival will require structural reform, not short-term firefighting.

The winless outing at the U23 World Championships was not merely a poor day on the mat it was a diagnosis of deep-rooted systemic failure. India’s Greco-Roman program stands at a crossroads: either it invests seriously in reform or risks permanent irrelevance on the world stage. As the freestyle wrestlers continue to bring home medals, the Greco-Roman side must now decide whether to evolve or accept being left behind. The results in Novi Sad are harsh, but perhaps they are the wake-up call the sport desperately needed.

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