Baku, Aug 1 (IANS) India’s freestyle wrestling contingent opened its account on day five of the 2026 U17 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, securing a silver and two bronze medals across the 48kg, 55kg, and 110kg weight categories.
In the 48kg division, Aaryan delivered a strong campaign to reach the gold medal bout. Facing Kazakhstan’s Bakdaulet Agabek in the championship final, Aaryan battled hard but ultimately sustained a 0-10 defeat, earning a well-deserved silver medal for India.
In the 55kg category, Prathamesh Suryakanth Patil bounced back impressively in the bronze medal playoff. Displaying excellent technical control, the Indian grappler overpowered USA’s Chase Karenbaur to secure an 8-0 victory, claiming his spot on the podium with a bronze medal.
India added a third freestyle medal in the heavyweight 110kg class through Arush Rana. The Indian wrestler, who recently won gold at the U17 Asian Wrestling Championships, showcased his dominance in the bronze medal match against Kazakhstan’s Sagyndyk Temirgaly. Maintaining control throughout the bout, Rana secured a comprehensive 9-1 victory on points (VPO1) to take home the bronze.
The U17 World Championships will draw to a close on Sunday, with Indian grapplers set to contend for podium finishes in the remaining Men’s Freestyle categories: 45kg, 51kg, 60kg, 71kg, and 92kg.
India’s women wrestlers continued their strong showing at the 2026 U17 World Championships, adding two silver medals and two bronze medals to the national haul across four podium bouts.
In the 46kg category, Sandhya Vishnoi put together an impressive tournament run to reach the championship final. Facing Japan’s Kokona Makino in the title clash, the Indian grappler fought hard but ultimately sustained a 2-13 defeat on points, finishing second on the podium to capture a silver medal.
India’s U17 World Championships Medal Tally
Men’s Freestyle (FS) – 3 Medals
Aaryan (48kg) – Silver
Prathamesh Suryakanth Patil (55kg) – Bronze
Arush Rana (110kg) – Bronze
Women’s Wrestling (WW) – 7 Medals
Sandhya Vishnoi (46kg) – Silver
Akshara (53kg) – Silver
Nikita Sehrawat (57kg) – Silver
Kamna Babal (49kg) – Bronze
Avanshika (61kg) – Bronze
Taniya (69kg) – Bronze
Garima (73kg) – Bronze
–IANS
bsk/
