Chirag Chikkara made history by becoming only the third Indian wrestler to win the Under-23 World Championship, contributing to India’s impressive total of nine medals at the tournament. Competing in the men’s freestyle 57kg category, Chikkara secured a thrilling victory with a narrow 4-3 win over Abdymalik Karachov of Kyrgyzstan in the final seconds of the match.
India’s Performance at the U23 World Wrestling Championships
Chirag Chikkara’s Historic Win
- Became only the third Indian to win a gold medal at the Under-23 World Championships.
- Competed in the men’s freestyle 57kg category, winning a close final match against Abdymalik Karachov of Kyrgyzstan (4-3).
- Second Indian male to achieve this title, following Aman Sehrawat’s gold in 2022.
Medal Tally
India secured a total of nine medals at the championships,
- 1 Gold Medal: Chirag Chikkara (Men’s Freestyle 57kg)
- 2 Silver Medals
- 6 Bronze Medals
India placed fourth in the overall team rankings with 82 points, behind Iran (158), Japan (102), and Azerbaijan (100).
Notable Matches
Chikkara’s path to the final
- Defeated Gaukoto Ozawa (6-1) in pre-quarters.
- Overcame Iunus Iavbatirov (12-2) in quarterfinals.
- Dominated Allan Oralbek (8-0) in semifinals.
- Vicky won a bronze in the men’s 97kg freestyle, defeating Ivan Prymachenko (7-2) in the bronze medal match.
- Sujeet Kalkal won bronze in the men’s 70kg freestyle, overcoming Mustafo Akhmedov (13-4) after a comeback from being down 0-4.
- Vishvajit More earned a bronze in the men’s 55kg Greco-Roman category, rounding off India’s impressive tally at the championships.
Women’s Team Achievements
The Indian women’s wrestling team performed admirably, securing,
- 1 Silver Medal: Anjli (59kg category).
- 3 Bronze Medals: Neha Sharma (57kg), Shiksha (65kg), and Monika (68kg).
Earlier History
- Ravi Kumar Dahiya had also won a silver in the U23 World Championships in 2018.
- Abhishek Dhaka had earlier won a bronze as India finished with four medals (one gold and three bronze), bettering their previous year’s performance where they had bagged two bronze in the freestyle category.
Summary/Static | Details |
Why in the news? | Chirag Chikkara made history by becoming only the third Indian wrestler to win the Under-23 World Championship |
Chirag Chikkara’s Historic Win – | – Only the third Indian wrestler to win a gold at the Under-23 World Championships.
– Won in the men’s freestyle 57kg category with a 4-3 victory over Abdymalik Karachov of Kyrgyzstan. – Second Indian male to win gold, after Aman Sehrawat (2022). |
India’s Medal Tally | Total medals: 9
– 1 Gold (Chirag Chikkara) – 2 Silver – 6 Bronze |
Overall Team Ranking | – India placed 4th with 82 points.
– Top three countries: Iran (158), Japan (102), Azerbaijan (100). |
Other Medalists (Men’s Category) | – Vicky: Bronze in men’s 97kg freestyle (Defeated Ivan Prymachenko 7-2).
– Sujeet Kalkal: Bronze in men’s 70kg freestyle (Defeated Mustafo Akhmedov 13-4). – Vishvajit More: Bronze in men’s 55kg Greco-Roman. |
Women’s Team Achievements | – Anjli: Silver in 59kg.
– Neha Sharma: Bronze in 57kg. – Shiksha: Bronze in 65kg. – Monika: Bronze in 68kg. |
Earlier History | – Ravi Kumar Dahiya: Silver in 2018 U23 World Championships.
– Abhishek Dhaka: Bronze in 2018 |