India women's wrestling coach Virender Dahiya has thrown his full support behind silver medallists Neelam Sirohi and Kajal Dhochak, expressing confidence that the pair — along with historic gold medallist Manisha Bhanwala — can deliver podium finishes for the country at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Dahiya's assessment came after India wrapped up its best-ever campaign at the 2026 Women's Wrestling World Championships, finishing fourth in the medal standings.

India's Historic World Championships Haul

India returned from the championships with one gold, two silver, and one bronze — a four-medal haul that surpassed the country's previous best of two medals each at the 2012 and 2021 editions. Manisha Bhanwala scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a senior World Championships gold, while Neelam Sirohi (50kg) and Kajal Dhochak (76kg) claimed silver medals. Tanu Sharma added a bronze in the 72kg category. In the overall team standings, India finished fifth with 94 points, behind the United States, Japan, China, and Ukraine.

Dahiya on Neelam's Silver and the Susaki Challenge

Coach Dahiya singled out the scale of the challenge Neelam Sirohi faced in the final, noting she was pitted against Japan's Yui Susaki, a formidable five-time world champion. Dahiya was measured but clear in his praise, stressing that merely reaching the final against such opposition was a landmark achievement.

'Neelam was up against Japan's Yui Susaki, who is nothing short of a natural phenomenon. She is an extraordinary wrestler, almost a miracle in herself. However, even the best can be beaten. Susaki has lost in Japan as well, but that does not take away from what a great wrestler she is. For Neelam to reach this stage is a huge achievement, and we are all proud of her. We are confident she will do much better going forward,' Dahiya said at a joint media interaction facilitated by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Saturday.

Kajal's Development and the Road Ahead

Dahiya was equally optimistic about Kajal Dhochak's trajectory, framing her silver-medal finish at 76kg as part of a broader developmental arc rather than a ceiling. He backed both wrestlers to grow into central figures for Indian wrestling on the international stage.

'Kajal is also still gaining experience, and both of them, along with Manisha, are the future stars of Indian wrestling. God willing, we hope to see all three of them competing at the Los Angeles Olympics and reproducing the kind of performances they have delivered here,' he added.

What This Means for Indian Wrestling at LA 2028

India's four-medal return marks a clear inflection point for women's wrestling in the country. Notably, the trio of Manisha, Neelam, and Kajal are all young and at different stages of their development cycles, giving the national programme a rare combination of proven peak performance and room to grow. This comes amid a broader push by the WFI to build a sustainable pipeline for Olympic medals, with Los Angeles 2028 now firmly in the crosshairs. If the momentum from the 2026 World Championships can be sustained through consistent international exposure, India's women's wrestling unit could enter the Olympics as genuine medal contenders across multiple weight categories.