The Indian contingent ended its campaign with a total of 11 gold, seven silver and nine bronze medals. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Indian men’s freestyle wrestling team was crowned champion at the Under-23 Asian Wrestling Championships in Da Nang, Vietnam, lifting the Team Championship Trophy with a first-place finish.

India dominated the freestyle standings to claim the top spot ahead of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, which finished second and third, respectively.

The freestyle victory capped off a strong continental campaign for the Indian contingent, which won a total of 27 medals, comprising 11 gold, seven silver and nine bronze, across freestyle, women’s wrestling and Greco-Roman categories, as per a press release from the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

The championship-winning freestyle squad wrapped up its campaign with nine medals, including four gold, three silver and two bronze. Akshay T. Dhere (57kg) and Vicky (97kg) set the tone with gold medals, and the momentum was carried forward by Kumar Mohit (65kg) and Chandermohan (79kg), who also stood atop the podium.

Deepak Rathi (61kg), Punit Kumar (92kg) and Lacky (125kg) contributed to the team title with silver medals, while Deepak Berwal (74kg) and Mor Sachin (82kg) rounded off the freestyle tally with bronze medals.

“Lifting the U23 Asian Championship Trophy is a monumental achievement for Indian wrestling and a moment of immense pride for the entire country. Our freestyle grapplers have shown unparalleled determination and technical superiority to finish ahead of top wrestling nations like Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan,” said WFI president Sanjay Singh.

“Across all three styles, our athletes have proven that the future of Indian wrestling is incredibly bright. I extend my heartiest congratulations to all our medal winners, coaches, and support staff for making this historic triumph possible,” he added.

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India’s women wrestlers were equally dominant throughout the tournament, delivering a strong performance to capture 10 medals. The women’s contingent brought home six gold medals, with Muskan (53kg), Tapasya (57kg), Bhagyashree (62kg), Pulkit (67kg), Mansi (68kg) and Kajal (76kg) winning their respective title bouts.

Neha (59kg) and Sweety (50kg) secured silver medals, while Amruta (72kg) and Ahilya (55kg) finished their campaigns on the podium with bronze.

In the Greco-Roman category, the Indian grapplers laid a strong foundation early in the tournament by securing eight medals. Sumit led the charge with gold in the 63kg division, supported by silver medals from Suraj (60kg) and Sagar Singh (67kg).

Neeraj Patel (55kg), Sachin (77kg), Rohit Bura (87kg), Rohit (97kg) and Hardeep (130kg) added to the haul with bronze medals.

Published on May 28, 2026