The Indian women’s wrestling team is currently stranded in Tirana, Albania, as flight schedules were disrupted by the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. This situation arose as many West Asian countries closed their airspace following retaliatory strikes by Iran on Israel and US military bases in the region. The team, consisting of 16 wrestlers and support staff, traveled to Albania for a tournament but got stuck due to flight cancellations amid the Middle East tensions.
The men’s freestyle team, on the other hand, managed to return to India after completing their competition a few days ago. The women’s wrestling coach, Manjeet, expressed gratitude towards the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and the Indian government for swiftly arranging accommodation for the team in Tirana. He reassured that they are safe and well taken care of during their stay near the airport.
Acknowledging the support received, the chief coach, Virender Singh, mentioned that they were contacted by the Sports Ministry and WFI after their flight cancellation. He confirmed that the team is not facing any issues in Albania and that WFI has assured them of continued assistance until the situation is resolved. India had sent a 48-member wrestling team to the Muhamet Malo 2026 tournament, with notable achievements including Sujeet Kalkal winning a gold medal in the men’s 65kg freestyle division.
