Strong Indian Showing at Zagreb Ranking Series as Aman Sehrawat Takes Silver, Sujeet Kalkal Strikes Gold

India enjoyed a productive opening day at the Zagreb Ranking Series, with the contingent returning home with a complete set of medals across weight categories.

Olympic medallist Aman Sehrawat claimed silver in the men’s 61kg category, Sujeet Kalkal delivered a dominant gold at 65kg, while Abhimanyou Mandwal added a bronze at 70kg. Mukul Dahiya narrowly missed out on a podium finish after a close bout in the 86kg category. Together, the results underlined India’s growing depth in men’s freestyle wrestling, particularly in the lighter and middle-weight divisions, at one of the most competitive Ranking Series events on the international calendar.

Aman Sehrawat’s silver in a loaded 61kg field

Competing in a tough round-robin format at 61kg, Aman Sehrawat once again demonstrated why he is considered one of India’s most reliable performers on the global stage. The Paris Olympic bronze medallist opened his campaign in emphatic fashion, registering a technical superiority win over Georgia’s Giorgi Goniashvili with a dominant 10–0 scoreline. Aman’s sharp movement and relentless pressure allowed him to dictate the bout from the outset.

He followed that with another commanding performance against Iran’s Reza Hossein Momeni, winning 12–2 and further consolidating his position in the group. Aman also secured a crucial win over Ali Mohammedaree of Palestine, ensuring that he remained firmly in medal contention heading into the decisive bout.

The only blemish on Aman’s Zagreb campaign came against American Austin DeSanto. Trailing 0–8 in the contest, Aman was caught in a fall, bringing the bout to an abrupt end. While the loss proved costly in the overall standings, the earlier victories ensured that Aman finished the round robin with three wins and one defeat, good enough to secure the silver medal.

Despite missing out on gold, Aman’s performance was significant. Ranking Series events are crucial for accumulating points that influence seeding at major championships later in the season, and a silver medal at Zagreb provides valuable momentum as he builds toward a long and demanding international year.

Abhimanyou Mandwal battles to bronze at 70kg

In the men’s 70kg category, Abhimanyou Mandwal put together a resilient campaign to earn a bronze medal. He began strongly in the quarterfinals, overpowering American Tyler Kasak with a comprehensive 10–0 technical fall that showcased his attacking intent and physical dominance.

The semifinal, however, proved to be a step too far, as Abhimanyou ran into Iran’s U23 World silver medallist Sina Khalili. The Iranian wrestler imposed himself early, handing Abhimanyou a 10–0 defeat. To his credit, the Indian wrestler regrouped effectively for the bronze medal match, where he edged past Ian Parker of the United States 6–3 in a tightly contested bout to secure his place on the podium.

The bronze represented a valuable outcome for Abhimanyou, particularly given the quality of opposition in the weight class and the importance of Ranking Series points in shaping the rest of the season.

At 86kg, Mukul Dahiya came agonisingly close to adding another medal to India’s tally. In the bronze medal match, he faced Iran’s Ali Savadkouhi, the 2022 Asian Champion, in a bout that went down to the wire. Mukul fought aggressively and stayed competitive throughout, but ultimately fell short by the narrowest of margins, losing 5–6. While the loss meant no medal, the performance against a seasoned Iranian opponent highlighted Mukul’s ability to compete at a high level and suggested that he remains firmly in contention for future podium finishes.

Sujeet Kalkal’s flawless gold at 65kg

The standout Indian performance of the day came from Sujeet Kalkal in the men’s 65kg category. The U23 World Champion was untouchable throughout the tournament, winning the gold medal without conceding a single point across his matches. Kalkal opened with a 10–0 technical fall over France’s Khamzat Arsamerzouev in the quarterfinals, before dismantling American Joseph McKenna 11–0 in the semifinals. In the final, he produced a mature and controlled performance to defeat Iran’s Peyman Ali Nemati 3–0, sealing his third Ranking Series title and reinforcing his status as one of India’s most promising freestyle wrestlers.

At the end of Day 1 in Zagreb, India’s medal tally stood at one gold, one silver and one bronze a strong return from a high-quality field featuring several Olympic and world-level competitors. Beyond the medals, the performances offered encouraging signs of depth, resilience and tactical growth within the Indian men’s freestyle setup.

As the Ranking Series circuit continues and attention gradually shifts toward continental championships and global qualification events, India’s showing in Zagreb provides both confidence and clarity. With wrestlers like Aman Sehrawat and Sujeet Kalkal setting early benchmarks, the focus now turns to sustaining this momentum across the remainder of the season.