After Indian grapplers put up their best-ever show at the just-concluded Senior World Wrestling Championships, youngsters take centerstage at the Under-23 men’s freestyle, Greco-Roman style and women’s National Wrestling Championships in Shirdi, Maharashtra from September 27 to 29.
This is only the second edition of the U-23 Nationals where last year’s 57kg champion Ravi Kumar Dahiya was the breakout star when the event was held in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan. Dahiya went on to win a silver medal at the 2018 World U23 Wrestling Championship, and a bronze in Nursultan at the Senior Worlds, besides securing a Tokyo Olympics quota.
Dahiya’s success story will fuel the 500 male and 300 female wrestlers from 28 states who will vie for medals in 10 weight categories in each of the freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s events for the next three days.
In the absence of Dahiya this time, all eyes will be on last year’s 70kg winner, Naveen from Jharkhand in freestyle. In the Greco-Roman section, Haryana’s Sajan (77kg) and Delhi’s Sanjeet (82kg) will return to try to defend their gold medals.
Haryana will look to excel on the mat once again with as many as five of its former champions coming back to taste glory a second time in the women’s division. Ankush (53kg), Pooja (62kg), Suman (68kg), Naina (72kg), and Pooja (76kg) will be looking to finish on the top podium like last year as will Uttar Pradesh’s Divya Tomar in 50kg.
The hotbed of Indian wrestling was the most successful state last year with four gold medals in each of the freestyle and Greco-Roman categories apart from seven in the women’s section. This time too Haryana will look to reassert its supremacy with quite a few talented wrestlers contending for the top prizes.
With the World U23 Wrestling Championships to be held from October 28 – November 3 at Budapest, Hungary this year, the U-23 Nationals will serve as the trials for the World Championships and the gold medallists will get a direct entry into the Indian Squad.
