Senior National Wrestling Championships 2024 Set to Commence This Friday

Bengaluru, Dec 5 (NationPress) A host of India’s premier wrestlers are gearing up for the Senior National Wrestling Championships 2024, kicking off this Friday at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium.

The state of Haryana aims to showcase its strength with 28 wrestlers participating across various categories, while a total of 24 states and Union Territories will compete in this prestigious event.

With over 700 registrations from across the nation, representatives hail from Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.

As hosts, Karnataka enters a formidable group of 32 wrestlers competing in Greco-Roman, freestyle, and women’s wrestling divisions. The contingent is led by medal hopefuls Gopal Koli, Mahesh P Gouda, and Shweta Sanju Annikeri.

Among the standout competitors is Y Minakshi Devi from Manipur, who is set to compete in the 50kg category. Earlier this year, she clinched the U-23 Asian Championship Gold in Jordan and is a former silver medalist at the World Championship. Another notable athlete is Jyoti from Haryana, participating in the 53kg weight class, having recently competed in the Junior World Championship in Spain 2024 and medaling at the Cadet Asian Championship.

Other prominent female wrestlers include Anjali of Haryana in the 59kg category and Radhika, also from Haryana, who will contest in the 68kg category after participating in the Asian Games 2022.

In the 53kg men's division, Sushma Shokeen from Delhi, a bronze medalist at the Senior Asian Wrestling Championship, will compete alongside her teammate Bipasha, a Junior Asian Wrestling Champion in the 72kg category.

Focusing on the men's categories, the event will feature Sunil Dabarpurya, an Arjuna awardee and Asian Games bronze medalist from Haryana, competing in the 87kg Greco-Roman category. His fellow state mate Sunny, who recently won gold at the World Police Games in Canada 2023, will also be a prominent figure in the 63kg category. Another contender, Anuj Kumar from Haryana, is expected to perform well in the 70kg freestyle category after participating in the Senior World Championship.

Joining the 61kg men's freestyle category is Lalit Kaushal from Madhya Pradesh, who expressed his enthusiasm for competing in Bengaluru for the first time. "We have all come to Bengaluru for the first time to participate in the wrestling national championship. It is wonderful to see more events hosted in South India; two years ago, in 2023, the championship was in Kerala. The venue is exceptional, and the accommodation and food provided are commendable. The organizers have ensured excellent facilities for us to excel. Personally, I've trained hard for this event and am optimistic about winning a medal here."

The 21-year-old Lalit from Indore highlighted that he considers Neeraj from Delhi his toughest competitor. "He has dropped weight and will be competing in the 61kg for the first time. I believe he will present a significant challenge in our category," he added.

Karandeep Singh from Punjab, competing in the 125kg class, also voiced his confidence about Punjab's performance in the nationals, stating, "About 4-5 wrestlers representing Punjab are from the Railways Sports Promotion Board. I’m also from Railways, and I’m representing Punjab this time, so I believe our team will be very strong. I secured a silver medal at the nationals in Jaipur earlier this year in the 97kg category. After an injury, I gained weight and trained in the 125kg category. I’m pleased this event is taking place in Bangalore; the atmosphere for competition here looks promising," he remarked.

The competitions will cover three styles: Freestyle, Greco-Roman Style, and Women’s Wrestling.

The event will proceed under the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) & United World Wrestling (UWW) regulations on three approved mats across the following weight categories: Freestyle wrestling will include 57kg, 61kg, 65kg, 70kg, 74kg, 79kg, 86kg, 92kg, 97kg, and 125kg; Greco-Roman Style will cover 55kg, 60kg, 63kg, 67kg, 72kg, 77kg, 82kg, 87kg, 97kg, and 130kg; while Women’s Wrestling includes 50kg, 53kg, 55kg, 57kg, 59kg, 62kg, 65kg, 68kg, 72kg, and 76kg categories.