Indian Under-20 Freestyle Wrestling Team Clinches Runner-up Trophy at 2025 U-20 Wrestling Championship Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Rakesh Thapliyal

New Delhi: The 2025 Under-20 Wrestling Championship concluded today with the final bouts in the remaining five weight categories of Freestyle Wrestling. The Indian Under-20 Freestyle Wrestling Team delivered a commendable performance, finishing as Runner-up, securing a total of 2 Gold, 1 Silver, and 5 Bronze medals, with an overall score of 157 points. The Championship Trophy was claimed by Iran.

Ankush (57 kg): Ankush showcased a dominant performance throughout the tournament. He defeated the Kazakh wrestler in the final with a score of 7-4, after a tough journey that saw him overcome top contenders from Iran (10-0), Japan (5-0), and Uzbekistan (9-0) without conceding a single point until the final.

Amit (79 kg): Amit started his campaign with a bye, followed by a win by fall over the Turkmenistan wrestler in the quarterfinals. He then overpowered the Uzbek wrestler in the semifinals with a technical superiority (10-0). In a close and intense final, Amit edged past his Iranian opponent 5-4 to bag the second Gold for India.

Ashwani (65 kg): Ashwani began strongly, defeating a Mongolian opponent by fall in the qualification round and overcoming the Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan wrestlers in the quarters and semis, respectively. In the final, however, he was unable to maintain momentum and had to settle for the Silver Medal. The highly anticipated India-Pakistan bout did not take place due to group separation. The Pakistani wrestler, Mohd. Abdulla, secured a Bronze by defeating a Korean wrestler.

Saurabh (70 kg)– Defeated the Chinese wrestler by fall in the Bronze medal bout.

Sachin (86 kg) – Won against the Korean wrestler.Sachin (92 kg) – Secured victory over the Mongolian opponent by fall.

Vishal (97 kg) – Dominated the Uzbek wrestler with a technical superiority win (10-0).

Jaspooran Singh (125 kg)– Clinched Bronze with a technical superiority (11-0) win against Uzbekistan. Earlier, he had notable wins over strong opponents from Iran and Kyrgyzstan before losing to Kazakhstan in the semifinal.

Medal Winners

57 kg. Ankush (Gold)

79 Kg. Amit. (Gold)

65 kg. Ashwani (Silver)

70 kg. Saurabh (Bronze)

86 kg. Sachin. (Bronze)

92 kg. Sachin. (Bronze)

97 Kg. Vishal. (Bronze)

125 kg. Jaspooran Singh (Bronze)

With this stellar performance, the Indian Under-20 Wrestling Teams have concluded the championship with a total of 21 medals, comprising 10 Gold, 3 Silver, and 8 Bronze Medals, across all styles, a historic achievement that reflects the growing strength of Indian wrestling on the global stage.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) acknowledges the support of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India, and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in nurturing the next generation of wrestling champions.