India’s young wrestlers had a mixed day at the U20 World Wrestling Championships as Kajal advanced to the women’s 72kg final with dominant wins, while Reena (55kg) and Priya (76kg) fell short in their gold medal bouts to claim silver.
Kajal continues golden run
Kajal, the 2024 Cadet world champion and reigning U20 Asian champion, produced two emphatic performances on her way to the final. She overpowered Bulgaria’s Emili Mihaylova Apostolova 15-4 by technical superiority before blanking Kyrgyzstan’s Kaiyrkul Sharshebaeva 7-0 in the quarterfinals. With two double-digit scoring displays in three bouts, she underlined her status as one of India’s brightest prospects.
Reena and Priya settle for silver
Reena and Priya had both entered the final stage on Wednesday but could not convert their chances. Reena was outclassed 2-10 by American Everest Shea Leydecker in the 55kg final, while Priya lost 0-4 against Ukraine’s Nadiia Sokolovska in the 76kg summit clash. Despite the defeats, both wrestlers earned valuable silver medals for India.
More medals still in sight
India’s medal hunt is far from over. Shruti Saarika (50kg) will fight for bronze after victories over Violetta Biriukova and Anna Yatskevych, before falling to Japan’s Rina Ogawa in the semifinals. In the 53kg category, Saarika impressed with a 12-2 win over Sevval Cayir and an 8-0 triumph against Tianyu Sun, but was stopped in the semis by Ukrainian Anastasia Polska.
Greco-Roman wrestler Suraj (60kg) and Prince (82kg) remain in contention for bronze through the repechage route, while Tapasya (57kg) has already bagged gold and Srishti (68kg) silver earlier in the competition.
India’s strong show in Samokov highlights the depth of its next generation of wrestlers as they continue to make their mark on the global stage.
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