India's wrestlers extended their medal surge at the U23 Asian Wrestling Championships in Da Nang, Vietnam, on Sunday (May 24), with Mansi Lather, Kajal and Sumit winning gold medals, while team-mates added two silver and three bronze to seal a strong second day for the contingent.
Mansi dominated the women's 68kg final, beating Uzbekistan's Firuza Esenbaeva 14-1 in a one-sided bout. Kajal then controlled the 76kg title clash, shutting out Kyrgyzstan's Aizharkyn Zhanybekova 10-0 to secure India's second women's freestyle gold of the day.
In Greco-Roman, Sumit clinched the 63kg crown with a 12-2 win over Uzbekistan's Ozodbek Khalilboev, underlining India's strength across styles. Sweety earned silver after a close 5-7 loss to Vietnam's Ngoc L, while
Neha fell 5-9 to Uzbekistan's Laylokhon Sobirova in the 59kg final.
India's women also claimed a bronze through Ahilya S. Shinde, who overpowered Kyrgyzstan's Arruke Kadyrbek Kyzy 13-2 in her playoff. The Greco-Roman section, which carried over from the opening day, brought further success with two more podium finishes for the squad.
Neeraj Patel delivered a strong display in the 55kg Greco-Roman bronze medal bout, shutting out Kazakhstan's Rauan Bekimov 8-0. His controlled win added to India's rising medal count and reflected effective preparation across the lighter weight divisions at this continental age-group event.
In the heavier Greco-Roman category, Rohit Bura ensured another podium finish for India by defeating Kyrgyzstan's Artykbek Alymbek Uulu 9-0 in the 87kg bronze medal clash. His dominant performance extended India's success against central Asian rivals across different divisions.
WFI hails team's discipline and depth
"Our wrestlers have made the entire country exceptionally proud today with their phenomenal performances on the mat. Winning gold and adding so many medals at a prestigious continental event shows the depth, determination, and discipline of Indian wrestling," said Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Sanjay Singh.
"I extend my heartiest congratulations to Mansi, Kajal, Sumit, Sweety, Neha, Ahilya, Neeraj, and Rohit for their medals. Their hard work has paid off, and I hope the rest of the team continues this positive momentum in the upcoming bouts. "
