Will we see a new bunch of future champions from Under-23 Wrestling Championships considering how turbulent 2024 has been for Indian Wrestling ?
With all the drama leading up to the Olympics, it was clear, things were not going to be easy. The men’s freestyle team which has given India 5 medals since 2008 had only one entrant. A lot was riding on the women’s team to deliver. Even though things did not go as planned, what transpired is something no fan will ever forget. Nisha’s injury, Reetika’s close loss, Antim’s issues with weight cut, Anshu’s tough draw- it was just one heartbreak after another. But nothing came close to what happened on the 6th and 7th of August, 2024. From the highs of reaching a gold medal bout to the depths of disqualification for missing weight by 100g, Vinesh took us through the entire gamut of emotions. She has recovered since then and gone on to win an MLA election but those events still give me the chills.
After the Olympics, there have been Under-17 (at Tirana) and Under-20 world championships (at Pontevedra). For the first time, India won a team title at a world championship (U-17 women’s wrestling). The performances of Neha (57kg U17 and U20), Mansi Lather (73kg U17) and Jyoti Berwal (76kg U20) were particularly impressive. The struggles of the men’s freestyle team, even at the cadet and youth levels, is cause for concern.
And now we have the Under-23 world championships at Tirana, Albania. The past few editions have brought India its first male and female world champions at this level- Aman Sehrawat has since gone onto win an Olympic medal and Reetika is not far away from doing likewise. Kennedy Blades, who Reetika beat for the gold, has an Olympic silver already! Ravi Dahiya (2018) and Bajrang Punia (2017) first drew attention with an U23 medal.
The opening 2 days of competition have seen our Greco-Roman (GR) wrestlers grapple against odds. There was some expectation of Suraj, who was the first Indian gold medalist at any level in Greco-Roman (U17 in 2023); he is just 18 on paper. He got a tough draw and eventually lost the bronze medal bout. If he keeps at it, he will go places. Vishwajit More went on to win a bronze medal in 55 kg GR, emulating Sumit Dalal who won bronze in 2023 (under UWW flag).
The wrestlers who have entered the competition with the biggest reputation are Sujeet (70 kg freestyle) and Priya (76 kg women). Women’s wrestling has been by far India’s most successful category in recent years and it is expected to continue here. It is heartening to see non-Haryanvi names in the team- it can only mean the sport is spreading across the country.
Some high-level wrestlers like Jonna Malmgren, a good US and Japanese team have entered. So, every medal has to be earned. As I write this, Priya has been beaten and will not be eligible for repechage too. Anjli has done well to reach the finals in 59 kg. Neha in 57 kg and Shiksha in 65 kg will be the others to keep a close eye on.
Men’s freestyle seems to be in a mini crisis, in spite of Aman’s Olympic medal and doing well here would be a fillip to dwindling hopes. Mohit Kumar (65kg) is the next best bet after Sujeet. Abhishek Dhaka (61 kg) and Chirag (57 kg) will be competing in India’s traditionally strong weights and will be looking to continue that tradition. The heavier weights are going to be challenging; let’s see who breaks the ceiling.
Just after the U23 championships, there will be the world championships for non-Olympic weight categories.
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Author – Sundaram TG
