India’s rising wrestling stars produced an outstanding all-round performance at the Under-20 Asian Wrestling Championships in Pattaya, Thailand, signing off with a remarkable haul of 20 medals—four gold, seven silver and nine bronze. The impressive campaign underlined the country’s growing strength in age-group wrestling and earned India top-three finishes in multiple team events.
Four Gold Medals Lead India’s Charge
India’s gold medal winners came from both the women’s and men’s freestyle competitions.
In the women’s division, Parveen (50kg), Muskan (53kg) and Kajal (76kg) emerged as continental champions after winning their respective finals with dominant displays. Their victories played a crucial role in helping the Indian women’s team secure the runner-up position.
The men’s freestyle team added the fourth gold through Sumit Kumar Laxman Bharaskar (70kg), who defeated Kazakhstan’s Sungkar Seidakhmet 13-7 in an entertaining final to finish on top of the podium.
Women’s Team Misses Title by Five Points
India’s women wrestlers enjoyed one of their strongest performances of the tournament, finishing second in the team standings with 184 points. China narrowly claimed the championship with 189 points, while Japan finished third with 142 points.
Apart from the three gold medals, India also collected silver medals through Manya Rajput (57kg), Savita (62kg) and Manisha (72kg) after reaching their respective finals.
The bronze medal tally in women’s wrestling was boosted by Kajal (55kg), Komal (59kg) and Mansi Lather (65kg), who all registered convincing victories in their medal bouts.
Men’s Freestyle Delivers Another Strong Finish
India’s men’s freestyle squad secured third place overall with 152 team points, finishing behind Kazakhstan (170) and Iran (164).
Besides Sumit’s gold medal, Pushp (61kg), Saurabh Yadav (79kg) and Ronak (125kg) earned silver medals after impressive runs to the finals.
India also added bronze medals through Rohit (57kg), Adarsh Yuvraj Patil (74kg) and Lacky (97kg), ensuring valuable points for the team standings.
Greco-Roman Wrestlers Add Valuable Medals
The Greco-Roman squad contributed significantly to India’s overall medal count.
Akshay Rana (97kg) secured a silver medal, while Neeraj Patel (55kg), Anuj (67kg) and Dheeraj Kumar Malik won bronze medals to complete India’s successful campaign.
A Promising Future for Indian Wrestling
With medals spread across women’s wrestling, men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman disciplines, India’s performance reflected impressive depth and consistency. The 20-medal finish, including four continental titles, showcases a talented generation of young wrestlers capable of making an impact at senior international events in the years ahead.
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