New Delhi: The rising expertise in Indian wrestling stamped its class on the under-23 World Championships in Tirana, Albania this week. India returned with 9 medals, however what was heartening to see was the 2 freestyle medals in comparatively decrease weight divisions.
Chirag Chikara received the 57kg gold on the under-23 Worlds lately. (X)
Chirag Chikara received the 57kg title, exhibiting India’s depth in a weight class wherein Aman Sehrawat received bronze within the Paris Olympics. Sujeet Kalkal’s bronze in 70kg is equally spectacular due to his constant efficiency in worldwide meets. It’s a non-Olympic weight division, however Sujeet will drop to the Olympic weight of 65kg for main tournaments. He was in competition to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics in 65kg however fell simply quick on the World Qualifiers.
Chirag’s title underlined the large reserves India has within the 57kg Olympic division. Indian wrestlers have come again with medals on this weight from the final two Olympics. Ravi Dahiya at Tokyo Olympics was a category act taking silver and Sehrawat then shocked everybody together with his spectacular rise to the highest in simply two years. After profitable the U-23 world title in 2022, Sehrawat moved to a distinct league, profitable the Asian title and an Asian Video games medal. With Dahiya injured, Sehrawat took over the mantle and received India’s solely wrestling medal in Paris.
Chirag will likely be hoping for comparable progress after turning into solely the second Indian freestyle wrestler to win a U23 world title, emulating Sehrawat. “I have grown up idolising Ravi Dahiya and Aman Sehrawat. They are my inspiration,” says Chirag, who took bronze within the 2021 Cadet World Championships.
In Tirana, Chirag gave a dominant efficiency, exhibiting composure in a detailed closing in opposition to Karachov Abdymalik of Kyrgyzstan. “It was a tough bout and I was waiting for an opportunity, for my opponent to attack in the final stages, so that I could score from the counter,” says the wrestler from Sonepat.
Coach Virender Kumar, who went with the crew for the U-23 worlds, says Chirag is an effective discover for Indian wrestling. “He is someone who fights according to the situation. There is no rush of blood. He can go far,” says the reputed coach whose trainees on the Chhatrasal Stadium embrace Ravi Dahiya and 86kg world championships silver medallist Deepak Punia.
“This weight category (57kg) is our strongest and you never know who will emerge from the shadows. We saw Aman toppling Ravi and go on to win a medal in Paris. There are still four years before LA (2028 Olympics) and more talent will surface. It is very competitive and everyone will have to be on their toes.”
Sujeet’s medal in Albania underscored his expertise, and he’s now eager to make a mark in 65kg at main tournaments. In contrast to most Indian wrestlers who depend on energy and endurance on the mat, Sujeet has developed his wrestling round technical nuances. The 22-year-old has come up the ranks on the worldwide stage with some good performances in age group, profitable medals on the World Junior Championships and Asian Junior Championships. On the U-23 worlds, Sujeet fought again from 0-4 all the way down to beat Mustafo Akhmedov of Tajikistan 13-4.
The 65kg class is understood for one in all India’s most interesting wrestlers, Bajrang Punia, the four-time worlds and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist.
Punia, a distinguished face of the wrestlers’ protest, couldn’t win the home trials and missed out on Paris qualification tournaments. At 30, he could not have a few years of wrestling left in him, and with the LA Olympics nonetheless far-off it stays to be seen whether or not he has the hearth to proceed on the mat. He will likely be 34 by then and should be sharp sufficient to go previous expertise like Sujeet at dwelling and make a case in 65kg. After Punia’s Tokyo medal, his kind and health dipped however he nonetheless managed to come back again, claiming a file fourth medal on the World Championships, in 2022 Belgrade. The beak in his coaching throughout final 12 months’s protests left the 65kg open for youthful wrestlers to stake declare. It took a while earlier than Sujeet emerged a contender within the weight class.