Vinesh Phogat misses out; Antim Panghal, Nisha Dahiya spearhead India's women wrestling contingent for 2026 Asian Games

Vinesh Phogat was knocked out in the semis.

Antim Panghal, Nisha Dahiya, Manisha and Dipanshee secured their places in India’s Asian Games wrestling contingent after emerging victorious in their respective categories at the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) women’s selection trials held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium on Saturday.

The trials also witnessed one of the biggest upsets of the day in the 53kg category, where Asian Championships silver medallist Meenakshi Goyat defeated Vinesh Phogat before Antim went on to clinch the top spot and seal her berth for the continental showpiece.

The 53kg division emerged as the highlight of the trials, with two-time U20 World Champion Antim Panghal edging past Asian Championships silver medallist Meenakshi Goyat 3-2 in a closely contested final.

Meenakshi had earlier produced the upset of the day by defeating Olympian Vinesh 6-4 in the semi-final. In the 68kg category, Nisha Dahiya booked her place in the squad with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Mansi Lather.

“I want to extend my heartiest congratulations to all the wrestlers who have performed brilliantly today and secured their places in the squad. The level of competition at the IG Stadium was exceptional, proving once again that our women’s wrestling pipeline is incredibly strong,” said Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Sanjay Singh.

2025 Asian Championships gold medallist Manisha continued her impressive form with an 8-2 victory over Neha in the 57kg final, while U15 Asian Champion Dipanshee claimed top honours in the 50kg category after defeating Priyanshi 9-3.

In the 62kg division, U23 Asian Championships gold medallist Bhagyashree delivered a dominant 10-0 win, while U23 Asian Championships bronze medallist Nitika and former U17 and U23 Asian champion Savita registered victories by scores of 8-3 and 4-3 respectively.

In the 76kg category, Priya and Kajal advanced with impressive semifinal wins, defeating their opponents 4-2 and 6-2 respectively.

He further added, “These athletes have displayed exceptional character and technical brilliance on the mat. The competition at the trials reflected the depth of talent in Indian women’s wrestling, and I am confident our wrestlers have the ability to challenge the very best in Asia.

“I wish them success as they embark on their quest for gold and strive to bring glory to the nation.”

With the women’s selection trials now complete, the selected grapplers will begin their final phase of preparation for the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, where they will look to carry India’s rich wrestling legacy onto the continental stage.

The trials also witnessed the return of Vinesh to competitive action, with the former World Championships medallist reaching the semi-finals of the 53kg category.

Focus will now shift to the men’s selection trials, scheduled to take place in Lucknow on Sunday, which will complete India’s wrestling squad for the Games.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram