New Delhi, April 5 – Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat and the U23 world champion will lead India's challenge at the Asian Wrestling Championships in Bishkek, a city that hosted the competition in 2018 and 2024. The event, which will follow a two-day format for the first time, will begin on Monday with Greco-Roman wrestling, followed by women's wrestling and then freestyle.
Close to 350 wrestlers are competing for the 30 gold medals up for grabs. A total of 30 Indian wrestlers – 10 each for women's, men's freestyle and Greco-Roman categories – will compete at the continental championships.
Aman, who won his Olympic medal in the 57kg category, also the Asian champion in 2023, will compete in the men's non-Olympic 61kg category. The 22-year-old Indian wrestler has won a couple of Grand Prix medals in this category. Earlier this year, he won a silver medal at the Zagreb Open.
Sujeet, the reigning U23 world champion in the 65kg category, will also be competing in Bishkek. The last Asian champion for India, outside the 57kg category, was Bajrang Punia, who won the 65kg gold in Xi'an, China, in 2019.
Now, Sujeet aims to end this drought and also bring an Asian title to India in three years.
Sujeet has been undefeated so far this year, winning gold medals in Zagreb and Tirana. He is the strongest contender for the gold medal in the 65kg category. He will face a familiar opponent in Umidjon Jalalov (Uzbekistan) in this weight class.
When Sujeet and Jalalov have faced each other, Sujeet has won all four times, and Jalalov is keen to win one back.
Takara Suda of Japan, the 61kg Asian champion last year, will compete in the 65kg category in Bishkek, posing a challenge for Sujeet.
Meanwhile, India's women's wrestling team will be without World Championship medallist Antim Panghal, who lost the national trials for a spot in the 53kg division to Meenakshi Goyat last month. This was Antim's first defeat in the national circuit in three years.
Manisha Bhanwala, the gold medallist at the 2025 Asian Wrestling Championships in the 62kg category, will compete in the 57kg division this year. Mansi Ahlawat will be in the 62kg spot.
In the Greco-Roman category, five-time Asian Championships medallist Sunil Kumar will lead the Indian challenge. He will compete in the 87kg division.
At the last edition of the Asian Championships held in Amman, Jordan, Indian wrestlers won 10 medals – one gold, three silver and seven bronze.
Indian wrestling team for Asian Wrestling Championships 2026:
Women: Neelam Sirohi (50kg), Meenakshi Goyat (53kg), Hansika Lamba (55kg), Manisha Bhanwala (57kg), Neha Sangwan (59kg), Mansi Ahlawat (62kg), Monika (65kg), Mansi Lather (68kg), Harshita (72kg), Kajal Dhochak (76kg).
Men’s freestyle: Ankush (57kg), Aman Sehrawat (61kg), Sujeet Kalkal (65kg), Abhimanyou (70kg), Jaideep (74kg), Sandeep Singh Mann (79kg), Mukul Dahiya (86kg), Punit Kumar (92kg), Vicky (97kg), Dinesh (125kg).
Greco-Roman: Lalit (55kg), Sahil (60kg), Sunny Kumar (63kg), Sachin Sahrawat (67kg), Anil (72kg), Aman (77kg), Prince (82kg), Sunil Kumar (87kg), Nitesh (97kg), Joginder Rathee (130kg).
