Did the U-17 World Wrestling Championship See Indian Women's Team Claim Six Medals?

New Delhi, Aug 1 (NationPress) The Indian women's wrestling team displayed exceptional prowess on the global platform, achieving a remarkable haul of six medals, comprising two gold, three silver, and one bronze, thus bringing prestige to the nation during the 2025 Under-17 World Wrestling Championship that kicked off in Athens, Greece, on Friday.

The gold medals were clinched by Rachna (43kg) and Ashvini Vishnoi (65 kg). Silver medals were claimed by Moni (57 kg), Kajal (73 kg), and Yashita (61 kg), while Komal Verma (49 kg) secured the bronze medal. The Indian Women's Wrestling Team finished at the top with 151 points, with the USA in second place at 142 points, followed by Japan at 113 points.

In another highlight, male wrestler Hardeep (110 kg) made history, winning a gold medal in the Greco-Roman style, becoming the first Indian to achieve this feat in the heavyweight category.

Rachna celebrated India’s first gold medal in the 43 kg category, beginning her journey with a decisive victory by fall (8-0) against Canadian wrestler Mariza Toshie Anjos Nasu. In the quarterfinal, she outperformed Egyptian wrestler Mareim Ahmed by technical superiority (13-3). Facing a formidable American contender, Madison M. Healey in the semifinal, Rachna kept her cool and advanced with a close 1-1 win on criteria. She triumphed in the final against Chinese wrestler Xin Huang, securing a solid 3-0 victory. Rachna is also the reigning Asian Champion in her category, having previously won gold at the Under-17 Asian Championship held in Vietnam in June 2025.

Ashvini Vishnoi, the sole wrestler from Rajasthan to capture gold at the World Championship, maintained her stellar performance. After her previous wins at both the Under-17 Asian Championship and the Asian Beach Wrestling Championship in Vietnam, she carried that momentum to the global arena. She began her campaign by defeating Algerian wrestler Selsabil Rouabah by fall, followed by a technical superiority win (11-0) over Hungarian wrestler Emese Czegledi. In the quarterfinal, she dominated Mongolian wrestler Anujin Erkhembaatar with a fall (13-0). In the semifinal, she defeated UWW wrestler Lilia Ermokhina 7-0 and won the final against Uzbekistan’s Mukhayyo Rakhimjonova by 3-0, impressively not conceding any points throughout the tournament.

Moni secured a silver medal after a commendable journey, narrowly losing the gold medal bout to Kazakh wrestler Madkhiya Usmanova (5-6). Interestingly, Moni had previously defeated Usmanova in the Under-17 Asian Championship final in June 2025.

She started her campaign with a fall over Taipei’s Ling E. Li (10-0), followed by a 6-0 victory against Uzbekistan’s Feruza Kairatdinova in the quarterfinal and a 7-0 win over UWW wrestler Alina Baroeva in the semifinal. Unfortunately, overconfidence may have cost her the gold in the final.

Kajal repeated her encounter with Chinese wrestler Wenjin Qiu, resulting in another silver medal.

Kajal had an impressive run to the final, defeating Hungarian wrestler Bianka Barany Almasi by fall in just 25 seconds, followed by a fall win (12-0) over Romanian wrestler Claudia G. Mantong. She secured her third fall victory against Georgian wrestler Anna Godelashvili and outclassed USA’s Ella J. Poalillo with an 11-0 technical superiority in the semifinal. The final was fiercely contested; despite showing improved preparation, she lost by a narrow margin of 5-8.

Yashita earned India’s third silver in the 61 kg category, starting with a 5-1 victory over Kyrgyz wrestler Akylai Chynybaeva and defeating Bulgarian wrestler Andrea Niseva 3-1. In the quarterfinal, she edged past UWW wrestler Varvara Aliseyenka 2-2 on criteria and secured a convincing 5-0 win against Hungarian wrestler Barbara Bager in the semifinal. In a closely contested final, she was bested by USA wrestler Taina Rose Fernandez 11-0.

Komal Verma claimed a bronze medal in the 49 kg category, initiating her journey with a 10-0 win over Spain’s Sheila Mondrago Garcia. She faced a setback in the quarterfinal against USA’s Morgan Nicole Turner (0-10), but as Turner advanced to the final, Komal seized the opportunity in repechage, defeating Kazakhstan’s Saniya Soltangali with a 10-0 technical superiority and clinching the bronze by overcoming UWW wrestler Anhelina Burkina 8-3.

Hardeep made history as the first Indian to earn a Gold Medal in the heavyweight (110 kg) Greco-Roman category at the Under-17 World Championship.

Having already been crowned Asian Champion earlier this year in Vietnam, Hardeep continued his winning streak. He opened with a 2-0 win over a Kazak opponent, followed by a 4-2 victory against a Polish wrestler. In the quarterfinal, he dominated his Ukrainian opponent 9-0. The semifinal saw him triumph over a tough Turkish wrestler 4-2. In the final, he faced a strong Iranian competitor, and in a dramatic finish, Hardeep won on criteria with a 3-3 scoreline, achieving India’s first-ever gold in this category at the Under-17 Worlds, surpassing the previous best, a silver medal by Raunak Dahiya in 2023.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) congratulated all the medallists and expressed gratitude to the coaching staff, support teams, and partners whose tireless efforts continue to uplift Indian wrestling worldwide. "This is a proud moment for Indian Wrestling. The commitment, confidence, and courage displayed by our young athletes, especially the women wrestlers, reflect a promising future for wrestling in India," stated a WFI spokesperson.

The championship continues in Athens, with Indian wrestlers gearing up for the remaining Freestyle bouts. Lacky (110 kg) has advanced to the gold medal match, set for Saturday.

Regrettably, two Freestyle wrestlers, Saurabh Yadav (82 Kg) and Arjun Ruhil (92 Kg), could not travel to Athens due to visa issues. Arjun Ruhil, the reigning Asian Champion, was a strong medal prospect, and his absence is a significant blow to the Indian team.