Sujeet Kalkal wins 65kg trial in Lucknow, targets World Championships berth
Synopsis
World No. 1 Sujeet Kalkal headlined the WFI national selection trials in Lucknow, winning the 65kg Freestyle final 8-3 — but the real prize is still ahead. Trial winners must now beat the Asian Games contingent in a final showdown for berths at the Senior World Wrestling Championships 2026 in Astana, with India's Greco-Roman and Freestyle squads both showing surprising depth.
Key Takeaways
Sujeet Kalkal (World No.
1) won the 65kg Freestyle trial in Lucknow on 15 September 2026 , defeating Anujj Kumar 8-3 .
Trial winners will face the Asian Games contingent in a final selection round for the Senior World Wrestling Championships 2026 in Astana, Kazakhstan ( 24 October – 1 November ).
Other Freestyle winners: Rahul (57kg), Yash (74kg), Pushpendar Dalal (86kg), Vicky (97kg), Jaspooran Singh (125kg).
Greco-Roman winners include Harsh (60kg), Sachin (67kg), Luvpreet Singh (77kg), Abhimanyu (97kg), and Joginder (130kg, by fall).
WFI President Sanjay Singh cited the trials as evidence of a stronger-than-ever reserve bench in Indian wrestling.
Trials for four non-Olympic weight classes are yet to be held.
World No. 1 wrestler Sujeet Kalkal clinched the 65kg Freestyle title at the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) national selection trials in Lucknow on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, beating Anujj Kumar 8-3 in the final. The wins across weight categories set up a decisive showdown with the Asian Games-bound contingent for coveted berths at the Senior World Wrestling Championships 2026, scheduled in Astana, Kazakhstan, from 24 October to 1 November.
Key Freestyle Results
Alongside Kalkal, Yash produced a dominant showing to capture the 74kg crown, defeating Deepak 10-4. In the 57kg division, Rahul beat Akshay Dhere 11-4 to claim top honours, while Pushpendar Dalal overcame Himanshu Antil 10-4 in the 86kg final.
The 97kg bout saw Vicky edge out Parveen Kumar 3-2 in a tightly contested match, and Jaspooran Singh defeated Rohit 5-1 to take the 125kg title. Trials in the four non-Olympic weight classes are slated to be held at a later date.
Greco-Roman Standouts
In the Greco-Roman discipline, Harsh delivered a commanding 9-0 win over Lalit in the 60kg category. Sachin edged past Karanjit Singh 6-5 in a thrilling 67kg final, and Luvpreet Singh overcame Vikas 10-8 in the 77kg bout.
Rohit beat Rohit Bura 5-2 in the 87kg category, Abhimanyu secured a 12-3 victory over Virensh Kundu in the 97kg class, and Joginder won the 130kg final by fall against Gursewak.
What the WFI President Said
WFI President Sanjay Singh hailed the depth on display. 'Today's trials in Lucknow proved just how competitive men's wrestling has become in India. The sheer effort and technical skill displayed by the athletes assure us that our reserve bench is stronger than ever. I congratulate today's top performers and expect them to carry this same momentum forward,' he said.
Road to Astana and What It Means
The trial winners will now face off against wrestlers from the Asian Games contingent for the final World Championships spots — a format designed to ensure that current form, not just past accolades, determines selection. This comes amid growing depth in Indian freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, with multiple weight classes producing podium-level competition at home trials. Notably, India has been steadily improving its World Championships medal tally, and a strong showing in Astana could bolster the country's ranking ahead of the next Olympic qualification cycle.
With the Championships less than six weeks away, the selected wrestlers will have limited preparation time — making the quality of these trials all the more significant as a form guide.
Point of View
But the two-stage selection format — trial winners versus the Asian Games contingent — is the real story. It is a sensible but high-stakes mechanism that forces current form to compete with established pedigree, and it reflects a WFI increasingly aware that India's wrestling depth is a genuine asset. The Astana championships fall inside the Olympic qualification window, making every berth decision consequential beyond 2026.
NationPress
15 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sujeet Kalkal and why is his trial win significant?
Sujeet Kalkal is the World No. 1 wrestler in the 65kg Freestyle category. His trial win in Lucknow on 15 September 2026 puts him in contention for a berth at the Senior World Wrestling Championships 2026 in Astana, though he must still clear a final selection round against the Asian Games contingent.
Where and when will the Senior World Wrestling Championships 2026 be held?
The Senior World Wrestling Championships 2026 will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan, from 24 October to 1 November 2026.
How will India's final World Championships squad be decided?
The trial winners from the Lucknow event will compete against wrestlers from India's Asian Games-bound contingent in a final selection showdown. This format ensures that current form, not past selection alone, determines the squad.
Which other wrestlers won their weight categories at the Lucknow trials?
In Freestyle, Rahul (57kg), Yash (74kg), Pushpendar Dalal (86kg), Vicky (97kg), and Jaspooran Singh (125kg) won their respective divisions. In Greco-Roman, Harsh (60kg), Sachin (67kg), Luvpreet Singh (77kg), Rohit (87kg), Abhimanyu (97kg), and Joginder (130kg) topped their categories.
Are all weight-class trials complete?
No. The trials for the four non-Olympic weight classes are yet to be held, according to the Wrestling Federation of India.
