Latest news with #SeniorWorldChampionships
New Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Overseas training camp for wrestlers ahead of Worlds
CHENNAI: After around three years, the Indian wrestling team selected for an international event will train abroad ahead of the tournament. The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) recently conducted trials to pick teams for the Senior World Championships scheduled in Zagreb, Croatia from September 13 to 21. The team comprising women's wrestlers, men's freestyle and Greco-Roman grapplers will train at Porec in Croatia before heading for the Worlds. The team comprises Paris Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat, Tokyo Olympian Deepak Punia and Paris Olympian Antim Panghal. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) sanctioned the training camp which will also provide the selected wrestlers an opportunity to acclimatise before the important competition. As per the sanction accorded by the SAI, 51 members comprising 30 wrestlers and 12 coaches will attend the camp at cost to government while three managers will be at the venue at no cost to government. The sanction letter said the camp will be held from August 10 to September 10 but other international events and visa procurement meant the wrestlers will depart in batches only after August 20. "The camp for women wrestlers will be held from August 25 to September 12 while the men's freestyle grapplers' camp will begin on August 27 and continue till September 14. For the Greco-Roman wrestlers, the camp will start on August 29 and conclude on September 16," a WFI source told this daily. The World Championships will begin with competition in women's wrestling followed by freestyle and Greco-Roman bouts. Notably, the national wrestling team last had a joint overseas training camp in 2022. Protest by senior wrestlers followed by de-recognition of the WFI put a brake on such foreign training camps. The SAI, however, funded overseas preparation camps of a few selected wrestlers during this period. In 2024, the ad-hoc committee, which was managing the day-to-day affairs of the WFI, organised a training camp for Greco-Roman wrestlers in Baku, Azerbaijan. Besides them, the SAI-funded trips of a few selected women and freestyle wrestlers last year as well. Aman, one of India's brightest medal prospects, made his senior World Championships debut two years ago but could not finish on the podium. The tournament will be an opportunity for the 2022 U23 Worlds gold winner to capture a medal at the senior level. Antim, meanwhile, had a disappointing outing in Paris but she started the year by winning a bronze medal at the Asian Championship in March followed by two gold medals at the Mongolia Open and Polyak Imre and Varga Janos Memorial Ranking Series. Similarly, Deepak, who has switched to 92kg from 86kg, will also eye redemption and try to get back to the podium as he did in 2019 when he won 86kg silver and qualified for the Tokyo Games. He won a silver and a bronze in the two previous Ranking Series this year apart from bagging a silver medal at the 2025 Asian Championships. Teams Women's wrestling: 50kg-Ankush, 53kg-Antim Panghal, 55kg-Nishu, 57kg-Tapasya, 59kg-Neha Sangwan, 62kg-Manisha Bhanwala, 65kg-Vaishnavi Patil, 68kg-Srishti, 72kg-Jyoti Berwal, 76kg-Priya Malik. Men's freestyle: 57kg-Aman Sehrawat, 61kg-Udit Gulia, 65kg-Sujeet Kalkal, 70kg-Rohit, 74kg-Vikas, 79kg-Amit, 86kg-Mukul Dahiya, 92kg-Deepak Punia, 97kg-Vicky, 125kg-Rajat. Men's Greco-Roman: 55kg-Anil Mor, 60kg-Suraj, 63kg-Sunny Kumar, 67kg-Anil, 72kg-Ankit Gulia, 77kg-Aman, 82kg-Rahul, 87kg-Karan Kamboj, 97kg-Nitesh, 130kg-Sonu. Note: Jaideep Narwal got injured during trials and was replaced by silver medallist Vikas in men's 74kg freestyle.
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Sport
- New Indian Express
'Fit' Mirabai set for Commonwealth Championships
CHENNAI: More than a year after a disappointing fourth place finish at the 2024 Paris Olympics, ace lifter Mirabai Chanu will be seen lifting weights in an international event during the 2025 Commonwealth Senior, Junior and Youth Championships. The event is scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat from August 24 to 30. With the International Weightlifting Federation revising weight categories and scrapping her pet division 49kg, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medallist will compete in 48kg at the championships. Around 300 athletes from 31 countries are set to compete in the tournament. "Mirabai is fit and ready for the tournament," Vijay Sharma, weightlifting head coach, told this daily. The competition will be held in eight weight categories in each senior, junior and youth sections. The championships is also a qualifying event for the 2026 Commonwealth Games scheduled in Glasgow, Scotland. "The Senior World Championships slated from October 2 to 11 in Forde, Norway will be her next international event," added Sharma. A ranking list based on the lifters' performance in the two events and the 2026 Asian Championships will be prepared and the top athlete from each weight category will become eligible for the Commonwealth Games, informed the coach. "The next three tournaments are important as they will serve as qualifiers for the 2026 CWG. Mirabai started weight training in January and is in good shape and free of injuries. She is competing in a new weight category now so if she can repeat her best show in 49kg then it will be good enough," said the coach. Mirabai finished fourth in the women's 49kg at the Paris Games as she could not lift 114kg in her third and final clean and jerk attempt. Mirabai lifted a total of 199kg (88kg in snatch+111kg in C&J). It was 3kgs less than what she heaved at the Tokyo Games (202 kg) for a silver medal. Surodchana Khambao from Thailand bagged the bronze for her effort of 200kg (88kg+112kg).
Indian Express
05-08-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Wrestling World Championship Trials: Sujeet Kalkal brings sharp counter-attacking speed to stacked 65kg field ahead of Worlds
Wrestler Sujeet Kalkal raced to an early lead against his compatriot Vishal Kaliraman in the men's freestyle 65 kg wrestling trials for the World Championships on Monday. However, Vishal applied pressure in the second period. He tried to execute a takedown, but Sujeet expertly maneuvered like a trick master and countered him with a takedown of his own, resulting in him getting the decisive lead. All the drama was unfolding at the SAI Center in Lucknow as Sujeet booked his berth for a maiden World Championships appearance. 'Finally, I will be playing at the Senior World Championships. It has been a long-overdue dream for me,' he told The Indian Express on the sidelines of the trials. While it will be his maiden appearance, the Bhiwani wrestler will be carrying India's hopes in a weight category where the nation has achieved considerable success. Growing up, he would watch videos of Sushil Kumar (then in 66 kg) and Bajrang Punia, and now, he has the responsibility of carrying their legacy forward in that sharply coveted weight division. '65 kg has been our strong area for a very long time, and I am aware that all eyes will be on me during the World Championships,' said Sujeet. The 65-66kg category in the men's freestyle wrestling has been one of India's strongest weight divisions in freestyle world wrestling. When it was 66 kg, Sushil Kumar dominated the category, winning two Olympic medals (bronze in 2008 and silver in 2012) and becoming World Champion in 2010. After United World Wrestling rebranded it in 2014, Bajrang Punia made it his hunting ground with three World Championships medals (silver in 2018 and bronze in 2019 and 2022) and Olympic bronze in Tokyo. However, with Punia banned due to a whereabouts doping failure, India's search for a successor in the 65 kg seems to have ended with the emergence of Sujeet. His coach, Kuldeep Singh, believes that Sujeet is made to perform in the 65 kg category. 'I will tell you this boy has immense wrestling sense. I haven't seen many wrestlers who use their brains the way he does. He has got the ability to strategize mid-game and execute them,' Kuldeep told The Indian Express. The 22-year-old is having a superb 2025 season with medals at both junior and senior levels after the heartbreak of not qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics due to unfortunate circumstances. He missed a connecting flight to Amman, where the last Olympic qualifiers were held, from Dubai due to unexpected floods in the UAE capital city. 'It was indeed a heartbreaking moment for me. But it was unfortunate and not in my control. Actually, the heartbreak of not qualifying for the Paris Olympics became my motivation. When I returned to India without the ticket to Paris, I just wanted to let everything out on the mat,' said Sujeet. Did he let everything out on the mat? Yes, the results of the season show that he has stayed true to his words. While the senior Asian Championships in 2025 ended early for him due to an injury during the quarters, he clinched the U23 Asian title, winning all matches by technical superiority. He took it a notch above in the Budapest Ranking series last month as he won the gold medal, defeating Olympic bronze medallist Islam Dudaev of Albania, Vazgen Tevanyan of Armenia, and four-time European medallist Ali Rahimzadeh of Azerbaijan, conceding just two points in four games. 'Playing in Budapest was a great experience cause all the wrestlers I defeated are very technically sound. The competition was great and it helped me understand how to counter different situations on a mat during the bout,' quipped Sujeet. What caught everyone's eye during Sujeet's title-winning run at Budapest was the points he scored purely by attacking. He scored 33 points in a very strong field, and similarly at the U23 Asian Championships, he scored 52 points in five games. At the trials, Sujeet turned four attacks from his opponents into a counterattack, eventually taking the points. While he always had a decent defence, the art of countering when an opponent is on the move makes him more lethal. Post his Paris heartbreak, Sujeet, along with his coach Kuldeep Singh, has worked on counter-attacks and making him more powerful. 'We have worked on his strength training. Earlier, he was not able to reverse the attacks due to lack of power. As he is growing now, his strength is improving. With more strength, he is also defending well,' said Kuldeep, who trains Sujeet at the SAI Sonepat center. His father, Dayanand, who himself was a wrestler, explained why he was able to counterattack today. 'Right now, Sujeet is injury-free, barring stretched muscles. Since his body is moving fluidly, his speed works as the perfect weapon to counter whenever the opponent attacks. This is a new addition to his technique, which he was not doing last year,' he said. Though not built like a tank like Bajrang legendarily was, Sujeet tends to get going quicker with speed as his pivot. With the World Championships scheduled for 13th September this year in Zagreb, Sujeet will be one of India's biggest hopes, along with Paris Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat in 57 kg. In 65 kg, Japanese Kotaro Kiyooka took gold at Paris, while Iranian Rahman Amouzad won silver. Dudaev had bronze alongwith Puerto Rican Sebastian Rivera. Rahimzadeh has stepped in for Tokyo silver medallist Haji Aliyev for Azerbaijan at Budapest. The category sees plenty of 70kg wrestlers step down to compete making it a power grapple. 'I am very confident of Sujeet doing well at the Worlds cause his performance at the Budapest Ranking Series is proof that he can take on the world. Hopefully, he keeps his form and delivers in Zagreb,' Kuldeep concluded. Whether Sujeet delivers or not, we will know in September, but for now, the legacy has a worthy successor.
Time of India
04-08-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Fit, confident and ready to clinch gold in world wrestling c'ship: Aman Sehrawat
1 2 Lucknow: Paris Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat displayed a brilliant performance with counter attacking skills over Rahul to score 10-0, securing a berth in Senior World Championship during selection trials in the men's freestyle 65kg weight category, at NCOE SAI, Lucknow on Monday. The Senior World Championships will be held in Zagreb, Croatia, from Sep 13-21. Despite inclement weather, the wrestling hall at NCOE SAI remained vibrant with athletes wearing bright-coloured singlets. Aman, 22, displayed a formidable attacking style, moving swiftly across the court. He prevented Rahul from gaining any advantage. Talking to TOI, Aman said, "The effort I put in paid off as my trials went well. I will be playing in the World Championship senior category for the second time. I went to the World Championship in 2023, but I couldn't win a medal as I lost to a wrestler from Albania. However, I settled scores by defeating him in the quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics." "Recently, I won a bronze medal in the World Ranking Series in Mongolia, followed by a gold medal at Yasar Dogu and Vehbi Emre & Hamit Kaplan International 2025 wrestling tournament in Turkey last month," he said. "I am looking forward to winning a gold at the Senior World Championship. I will address my shortcomings in the next one and a half months. I am confident, fit, and ready for gold," he said. On his diet, fitness and stress level, Aman said, "Our diet is managed by a nutritionist. Stress is not much of an issue. We work so hard that all we see is the bout, the court, and the medal." "I was around 12 when my parents passed away, and my uncle and aunt raised me like their own son. After winning a medal at the Paris Olympics, my family's condition changed. People in my village ask their children to take inspiration from me," he said. "People's love makes me feel that the 10-15 years I dedicated to wrestling have finally paid off," Aman said, adding that he wanted to win a gold medal in the Olympics.
NBC Sports
14-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Jax Forrest set to be youngest U.S. men's freestyle wrestler at world championships in 50 years
Jax Forrest, a rising high school senior, is set to become the youngest U.S. men's freestyle wrestler to compete at a senior world championships in 50 years. Forrest, an 18-year-old Pennsylvania prep standout, defeated 2023 World champion Vito Arujau for the last spot — the 61kg spot — on the U.S. team for worlds in Croatia in September. Forrest swept the best-of-three series 4-3, 7-2 in Fargo, North Dakota, on Monday. The head-to-head was postponed one month due to a medical reason for Arujau. 'It feels great, but, obviously, knowing that this is just step two of the process,' said Forrest, who earned the chance to wrestle Arujau by winning the U.S. Open in April. 'I've got to go do my job in September.' Back in February, Forrest committed to Oklahoma State, a program whose head coach is Tokyo Olympic gold medalist David Taylor. Forrest, who turns 19 on Oct. 13, is set become the youngest U.S. male freestyle wrestler to compete at senior worlds since 1974, when Billy Rosado did so at age 18. John Bowlsby had also finished high school that year and wrestled at those worlds. Had Forrest not beaten Arujau, then 19-year-old P.J. Duke was set to become the youngest U.S. male freestyler at worlds since 1974. On June 14, Duke defeated Yianni Diakomihalis for the 70kg spot at worlds. Neither 61kg nor 70kg is an Olympic weight. For 2028, Forrest will likely move to 57kg or 65kg and Duke will likely move to 65kg or 74kg. Jax Forrest defeats World Champion Vito Arujau in two straight matches to represent team USA at the 2025 Senior World Championships Nick Zaccardi,
