Wrestling junior worlds round-up: Meet the seven medallists who made it India’s best ever result

In their best ever show at any Wrestling World Championships, India won seven medals including four silver at the recently concluded Junior World Championships in Trnava, Slovakia. Last year, India could manage only three medals in Tampere, Finland.

While the men’s and women’s freestyle teams won two medals each, the Greco-Roman team achieved their best ever performance with three medals (two silver, one bronze). The wait for a gold medal, however, extended further, with the last time an Indian finishing on the top of the podium in 2001.

India finished fifth in the overall Greco-Roman team rankings which were led by Iran and fifth in the men’s freestyle team rankings as well which Russia topped.

Here’s a look at all of the Indian medallists:

Sajan Bhanwala

77 Kg, Greco Roman: Silver medal

No Indian wrestler has achieved the feat of winning two consecutive medals at World Championships in Greco-Roman until Sajan. He was a bronze medallist in Finland and in Trnava, he bagged a silver medal. A resident of Kasandi village in Sonipat district, Sajan has been India’s most successful young wrestler in recent times, winning the Junior Asian Championships as well.

Read more here: Sajan Bhanwal, India’s young Greco-Roman hope, carries the dreams of a family and a nation.

Vijay

60Kg, Greco Roman: Silver medal

Vijay entered the final of the World Championships in Trnava with a dominating show that also included a victory by fall in the semi-final against Iran. But he failed to end India’s wait for a gold medal in the junior world champ in Greco-Roman since 1992, as he lost to defending champion Kerem Kamal of Turkey in the final. But along with Sajan, he became a silver medallist, the second for India.

Vijay

55Kg, Greco Roman: Bronze medal

Another Vijay added a bronze medal to India’s medal tally. In the 55kg weight category, Vijay lost in the semi-final to Armenia’s Tigran Minasyan 10-0. But he returned to win the bronze medal play-off against Cihat Ahmet Liman of Turkey 16-8.

A trainee at the Sisai village akhada in Hisar district since 2011, Vijay had earlier won a silver medal at the junior Asian championships. After his recent success, Vijay was recruited in the Indian Air Force.

Anshu Malik

59kg, Women’s Wrestling: Bronze medal

Anshu, a resident of Nidani village of district Jind, Haryana, won a bronze medal in the 59kg weight category. This was Anshu’s first junior world championships but at the cadet level, she has won a gold and two bronze medals.

Anshu’s family boasts of wrestlers as her father, brother and uncle have wrestled at one level or the other.

Mansi Ahlawat

57kg, Women’s Wrestling: Bronze medal

Mansi made the most of her maiden junior world championships and finished with a bronze medal in the 57kg in Trnava. She will now participate in the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina next month.

A resident of Sheria village in Rohtak, Mansi trains at the Sir Chotu Ram Stadium under coach Mandeep. She has finished at the podium at the junior Asian championships 2018 and now at the world championships.

Deepak Punia

86kg, Freestyle Wrestling: Silver medal

A former cadet world champion and current junior Asian champion Deepak Punia earned his first junior world championships medal by finishing with a silver in the 86kg category in Trnava.

After a dominating show leading up to the finals, Punia lost to Arif Ozen of Turkey 1-2 in a final that lacked action.

After wrestling at various dangals, Punia shifted to Chhatarsaal Stadium in New Delhi under coach Virender. He is also a junior national champion and a bronze medallist at the senior nationals.

Naveen Sihag (57kg, Freestyle Wrestling)
Silver medal

A former cadet world championship medallist and junior Asian silver medallist, Naveen has time and again pulled off upsets at both national and international level. At the 2017 senior nationals, he defeated national champ Sandeep Tomar and in Trnava, he defeated defending champ Daton Fix of USA to enter the final. But he could not go past Russia’s Akhmed Idrisov in the final.

Hailing from Sisai village near Hisar, Naveen returned with a silver medal in the 57kg category. He is one of the most promising young wrestlers from the famous Chhatarsaal Stadium in New Delhi.