Noida, Feb 2 (IANS) Haryana Thunders were crowned champions of the Pro Wrestling League 2026 after narrowly defeating Delhi Dangal Warriors 5–4 in a tense final on Sunday. Following their victory, head coach Virender Dahiya attributed the franchise’s success to its long-term vision and emphasised the league’s significance for emerging wrestlers.

He noted that the league provided valuable learning experiences from foreign players and expressed confidence that Indian wrestlers will continue to bring honour to the country internationally.

Speaking after the final, Dahiya revealed that the management had placed complete trust in the coaching staff from the very beginning.

“When the franchise spoke to us on the first day — to me and our assistant coach Prasad ji — they handed over the entire responsibility to us. They never said we had to make the team champions.

They only said that experienced players and new talent should be given opportunities. During the auction, we focused on selecting quality wrestlers and Indian players who would genuinely benefit from this platform.

“We picked 18–19-year-old wrestlers to ensure balance in the team. That is why we reached the semi-finals, then the final, and eventually won. This was a result of complete teamwork,” Dahiya told IANS.

Haryana Thunders coach, who has been associated with the Indian wrestling setup for the past four years and currently serves as the head coach of the women’s national team, highlighted the remarkable progress of young female wrestlers in the country.

“Many girls between the ages of 18 and 20 have already competed in our other teams. These girls have defeated Olympic medallists, European champions and World Championship medallists. Wrestlers like Kajal and Sarika have done it. The future of these girls is extremely bright, and this will be hugely beneficial for India in the upcoming Asian Games,” he said.

The coach also emphasised the importance of exposure gained by competing alongside elite foreign wrestlers, calling it a major morale booster for Indian athletes.

“Playing with foreign wrestlers helps immensely. Many of our girls had only seen someone like Susaki on television. On the first day, some of them even cried after seeing such a big star train alongside them. She has been training with us for the last 20 days. The morale of all the girls has gone up significantly, and now they want to become like Susaki (Yui),” said Dahiya

Dahiya further praised the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for reviving the league after the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and for creating a stronger platform for wrestlers. “This has been the vision of the Wrestling Federation of India. The league had stopped due to COVID, but WFI made strong efforts to restart it and provide a new platform for both men and women.

“I have heard that in the coming time, the number of teams will increase from six to twelve, and matches will be held across different states. This will have a tremendous impact on our Olympic preparations.”

Haryana Thunders’ title win not only capped a thrilling season but also underscored the growing depth, confidence, and global exposure of Indian wrestling, a promising sign as the country looks ahead to major international events.

–IANS

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