Top five medal prospects for India in wrestling at Hangzhou Asian Games 2023

A total of 18 Indian wrestlers are scheduled to compete at the Continental meet.

The highly anticipated Asian Games 2023 are set to commence on the 23rd of September in Hangzhou, China. This prestigious sporting event will continue until the 8th of October 2023. The Wrestling competitions, on the other hand, are scheduled to take place from the 4th to the 7th of October 2023.

The official confirmation of the Wrestling team for the Asian Games 2023 took place following a rigorous selection process at the Kedar Jadhav Hall within the prestigious Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi.

Recognizing their exceptional achievements, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat were exempted from the trials by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) ad-hoc committee, responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

Both athletes received direct entries to the Hangzhou Games. Nonetheless, trials in their respective weight categories were still conducted, with the winners serving as standbys for the team. However, Vinesh Phogat later withdrew due to an injury, leading to the replacement of the accomplished wrestler by the talented Antim Panghal.

Indian Wrestling Squad for Asian Games

• Greco-Roman: Gyanender - 60kg, Neeraj - 67kg, Vikash - 77kg, Sunil Kumar - 87kg, Narinder Cheema - 97kg, Naveen - 130kg

• Women’s freestyle: Pooja Gehlot - 50kg, Antim Panghal- 53kg, Mansi Ahlawat - 57kg, Sonam Malik - 62kg, Radhika - 68kg, Kiran - 76kg

• Men’s freestyle: Aman Sehrawat - 57kg, Bajrang Punia - 65kg, Yash - 74kg, Deepak Punia - 86kg, Vicky - 97kg, Sumit - 125kg

Top Five Medal Prospects

Bajrang Punia

Renowned for his remarkable speed, agility, and technical prowess, Bajrang Punia stands as a prominent figure in the domain of Indian wrestling, and is considered as a major prospect to grab a title at the Asian Games 2023. Bajrang has enjoyed notable success on the global stage. Notably, he clinched the gold medal in the 65kg category at the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Furthermore, having already achieved the illustrious feat of securing an Olympic bronze medal, he further solidified his position by triumphing with a decisive victory over Canada's Lachlan McNeil in the highly anticipated 65kg final bout at the esteemed Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022. However with no international match experience for the past year it is to be seen whether he can compete to his best.

Antim Panghal

Along with Bajrang Punia the two-time U-20 World Champion, Antim Panghal, is going to lead the 18 member wrestling team at Asian Games 2023. Initially named as a standby, she was included in the squad after Vinesh Phogat, the gold medalist at Jakarta 2018, withdrew due to an injury. Considering her recent performances, the wrestling community, as well as fans back in India, have high hopes for Antim to secure a medal at this prestigious event.

Sonam Malik

The young wrestler, aged 21, competes in the 62kg category. One of her most notable accomplishments is the defeat of Sakshi Malik, the 2016 Rio Olympic champion, not once, but twice in 2020. The first victory came during the trials for the Asian Championship in January and the second during the selection for the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in February.

Additionally, she earned a silver medal in her weight class at the 2022 World Junior Wrestling Championship held in Sofia, Bulgaria. While she may not possess extensive experience, she is undeniably a formidable adversary in the wrestling world. It is reasonable to consider her a strong contender for a medal at the upcoming Asian Games in 2023

Deepak Punia

Deepak Punia is renowned for his remarkable performance at the World Wrestling Championships. In 2019, he achieved a silver medal in the 86kg category at the global wrestling event held in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. This significant accomplishment solidified his position as one of the foremost freestyle wrestlers across the globe.

Additionally, Deepak Punia took part in the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he attained a silver medal in 86kg.

Aman Sehrawat

Aman Sehrawat is going to represent India in the 57kg freestyle category at the Asian Games 2023. Aman has already showcased his exceptional talent by securing the gold medal in the 57kg Freestyle category at the recently concluded Asian Wrestling Championships 2023 in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Furthermore, he made history by becoming the first Indian wrestler to win gold at the U-23 World Championships held in Spain last year. Given his recent accomplishments, Aman Sehrawat undoubtedly stands as a strong contender for a medal at the forthcoming event.