Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: the Indian Free Style wrestling team were crowned champions with a haul of 10 medals in the 2025 Senior Asian Wrestling Championship which concluded in Amman, on March 30.
Out of the five categories, two wrestlers advanced to the finals, while two others competed for bronze medals. Udit (61 kg) and Deepak Punia (92 kg) reached the final rounds, whereas Mukul Dahiya (86 kg) and Dinesh (125 kg) fought for bronze medals.
Udit, competing in the 61 kg category, secured his second consecutive silver medal at the Senior Asian Championship. Last year, he won silver in the 57 kg category. Displaying remarkable skill, he defeated Kyrgyz wrestler Bekbolot Myrzanazar Ullu by 9-6 points in the quarterfinals and Chinese wrestler Wanhao Zou by 2-0 points in the semifinals. In the final bout, he put up a tough fight but was defeated by Japan’s Takara Suda with a score of 6-4, settling for silver.
In the 92 kg category, Deepak Punia delivered a commendable performance. He triumphed over Kyrgyz wrestler Bekzat Rakhimov in the quarterfinals by 12-7 points and outclassed Japan’s Takashi Ishiguro in the semifinals with an 8-1 victory. However, in the final match, he fell short against Iranian wrestler Amirhossein Biglar, losing by a significant margin of 10-0, thereby securing silver.
Dinesh Kumar (125 kg) displayed immense grit in a highly competitive bout against Turkmenistani wrestler Zyyamuhammet Saparov. He clinched the bronze medal with a hard-fought 12-12 victory based on technical superiority. Unfortunately, Mukul Dahiya (86 kg) narrowly missed out on a bronze, losing to Japan’s Tatsuya Shirai by 4-2 points.
The Indian wrestlers’ performances reaffirm their dedication and competitiveness on the Asian wrestling stage, promising a strong future for the sport in the country,” said Sanjay Kumar Singh, president of WFI in a statement.
With these results, the Indian Free Style Wrestling Team concluded the championship with an impressive tally of 2 silver and 1 bronze medal on the final day. Overall, the Indian contingent secured 1 gold, 3 silver, and 6 bronze medals in the championship, marking another milestone in the country’s wrestling achievements.
