Chirag Chikkara Clinches Gold, Leads India’s Impressive Medal Haul at U23 Wrestling World Championships

In a historic achievement, Chirag Chikkara became the second Indian male wrestler to clinch gold at the Under-23 Wrestling World Championships. Competing in the men’s 57kg freestyle category in Tirana, Albania, Chikkara secured a nail-biting 4-3 win over Kyrgyzstan’s Abdymalik Karachov. His triumph marks only the third time an Indian has won gold at this prestigious event, following in the footsteps of Aman Sehrawat in 2022 and Reetika Hooda in 2023.

Chikkara reached the final with dominant performances, defeating Japan’s Gaukoto Ozawa 6-1 in the pre-quarterfinal, Iunus Iavbatirov of Russia 12-2 in the quarterfinal, and Kazakhstan’s Allan Oralbek 8-0 in the semifinals. This gold adds to India’s total tally of nine medals at the championships, with one gold, one silver, and seven bronze, placing India fourth in the team rankings.

Among other highlights, Vicky earned bronze in the men’s 97kg freestyle by defeating Ukraine’s Ivan Prymachenko 7-2, and Sujeet Kalkal took bronze in the men’s 70kg category after a strong 13-4 comeback against Tajikistan’s Mustafo Akhmedov. The Indian women’s team also contributed significantly, with Anjli winning silver in the 59kg category, and Neha Sharma, Shiksha, and Monika securing bronze medals in their respective weight classes.

With such an outstanding performance, the Indian wrestling contingent continues to shine on the international stage, proving that the country’s wrestling talent is on a strong upward trajectory.

image credit: pragativadi.com

read also:VVS Laxman Named Head Coach for India Tour of South Africa