New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat and U23 world champion will spearhead the Indian challenge at the Asian Wrestling Championships in Bishkek, a city that hosted the competition in 2018 and 2024. The event, which will follow a two-day format for the first time, will begin on Monday with Greco-Roman, followed by women’s wrestling and then freestyle.

Close to 350 wrestlers are competing for the 30 gold medals on offer. A total of 30 Indian wrestlers – 10 each for women’s, men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman categories – will compete at the continental championships.

Aman, who won his Olympic medal in the 57kg category, a division which also saw him become the Asian champion in 2023, will compete in the men’s non-Olympic 61kg. The 22-year-old Indian wrestler has won a couple of Grand Prix medals in the category. Earlier this year, he clinched the silver at the Zagreb Open.

In-form Sujeet, the reigning U23 world champion in the 65kg category, will also be in action in Bishkek. India’s last Asian champion, in a weight class other than 57kg, was crowned in 2019 when Bajrang Punia won the 65kg gold in a comeback for ages in Xi’an, China.

Now, Sujeet will look to end that drought and also look to give India an Asian title in three years.

Sujeet is unbeaten so far this year, winning golds in Zagreb and Tirana. He is in the top position to win gold at 65kg. He will have a familiar foe in Umidjon Jalalov (Uzbekistan) in the weight class.

When a match between Sujeet and Jalalov has taken place, the Indian has won all four times and the Uzbekistan wrestler will be keen on giving one back to the Indian.

Last year’s 61kg Asian champion Takara Suda of Japan will be at 65kg in Bishkek and a challenge for Sujeet.

The Indian women’s wrestling team, meanwhile, will be without World Championship medallist Antim Panghal, who lost the national trials for a spot in the 53kg division against Meenakshi Goyat last month. It was Antim’s first defeat on the national circuit in three years.

Manisha Bhanwala, a gold medal winner at the 2025 Asian Wrestling Championships in the 62kg category, will compete in the 57kg division this year. Mansi Ahlawat will be in the 62kg spot.

In the Greco-Roman, five-time Asian Championships medallist Sunil Kumar will headline the Indian challenge. He will compete in the 87kg division.

At the last edition of the Asian Championships held in Amman, Jordan, Indian wrestlers clinched 10 medals – one gold, three silver and seven bronze.

Indian wrestling team for Asian Wrestling Championships 2026

Women: Neelam Sirohi (50kg), Meenakshi Goyat (53kg), Hansika Lamba (55kg), Manisha Bhanwala (57kg), Neha Sangwan (59kg), Mansi Ahlawat (62kg), Monika (65kg), Mansi Lather (68kg), Harshita (72kg), Kajal Dhochak (76kg).

Men’s freestyle: Ankush (57kg), Aman Sehrawat (61kg), Sujeet Kalkal (65kg), Abhimanyou (70kg), Jaideep (74kg), Sandeep Singh Mann (79kg), Mukul Dahiya (86kg), Punit Kumar (92kg), Vicky (97kg), Dinesh (125kg).

Greco-Roman: Lalit (55kg), Sahil (60kg), Sunny Kumar (63kg), Sachin Sahrawat (67kg), Anil (72kg), Aman (77kg), Prince (82kg), Sunil Kumar (87kg), Nitesh (97kg), Joginder Rathee (130kg).

–IANS

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