U-17 World Wrestling Championships review: Women outshine men on the mat, provide glimpse into future

Indian women wrestlers continued their impressive ascent by breaking Japan’s dominance and clinching the team title at the Princess Sumaya Bint al-Hasan Arena in the World Under-17 Championships in Amman, Jordan, for the first time.

With a stellar performance, the Indian team secured five gold, one silver, and two bronze medals, amassing 185 points — 39 points ahead of Japan and 106 ahead of Kazakhstan. This remarkable achievement signals a promising future for Indian women’s wrestling, especially as the country looks forward to the upcoming Olympics.

Notably, this victory follows India’s maiden triumph in the World U-20 Championships in Amman the previous year.

India, which has consistently finished in the top five of the World U-17 women’s wrestling event over the past five years, had previously secured second place behind the USA in 2021 (when Japan did not participate) and Japan in 2022.

The Indian men, however, had a less successful tournament. Two Greco-Roman wrestlers won bronze medals, while the freestyle wrestlers, who are traditionally stronger in the country, returned empty-handed from Amman.

In the women’s categories, Aditi Kumari (43kg), Neha Sangwan (57kg), Pulkit Kandola (65kg), Kajal (69kg), and Mansi Lather (73kg) each won gold medals. Shrutika Patil (46kg) earned a silver medal, and Bala Raj (40kg) and Muskan (53kg) secured bronze medals.

Hailing from Daulatabad, 16-year-old Aditi, an Asian U-15 silver medallist in the 46kg category last year, elevated her performance to compete successfully in a higher age group. Under the guidance of her father, Swapan Janghu, a former state-level wrestler, and coach Pradeep Malik, Aditi showcased her dominance with commanding victories, including a notable quarterfinal win against Egyptian Mareim Ahmed.

Neha, a former Asian U-15 and U-17 champion who grew up in a wrestling family, surpassed her bronze medal finish in 2023. She defeated Japanese wrestler So Tsutsui 10-0 in the final through technical superiority, just days after welcoming her village mate and idol, Vinesh Phogat, following her return from the Paris Olympics.

Pulkit Kandola, a Jind native and Asian silver medallist in 2022, displayed impressive fitness and skill, scoring 36 points while conceding just six in five bouts. Returning to international competition after a two-year recovery from knee surgery, Pulkit’s success is a testament to her father’s support and belief in her potential on the global stage.

Kajal, from Lath village in Sonipat district, drew inspiration from her wrestler relative, Krishan. An Asian U-15 champion in 2022 and an U-17 champion the following year, Kajal overcame formidable opponents, including Ulyana Lapanik of Russia, Ako Uchiyama of Japan, and Oleksandra Rybak of Ukraine in the final, to achieve victory.

Mansi, the daughter of a wrestling couple, embraced the sport naturally at her family’s akhara in Jind. She quickly distinguished herself, securing gold medals at national competitions before becoming the Asian champion in the 69kg category and the U-17 World champion in her breakthrough season this year. Known for her aggressive style, Mansi pinned three of her opponents and defeated the gold and silver medallists from the previous year to claim the title with impressive flair.

“At any level, a World Championships is always tough. Some of our girls defeated accomplished wrestlers at this level. For the next two Olympics, we have a good batch of women wrestlers who can go on to qualify in all weight categories and do well,” said coach Jai Bhagwan, who accompanied the wrestlers.

Asked about his daughter Mansi, Jai said, “Her biggest strength is her confidence. I was apprehensive ahead of her bout against the world champion, but she performed much better than I expected and dominated. She has won two school national golds, one national gold, an Asian gold, and a Worlds gold in about a year’s time.”

Jai also praised Bala, Shrutika and Muskan (a multiple World U-17 medallist). “The girls who won silver and bronze are equally good, and they could have landed gold as well. In sports, sometimes it is not your day. They are all at the same level.”

Shilpi, a former wrestler making her debut as a coach on an international assignment, mentioned that the coaching staff worked hard to motivate the girls. “We worked on keeping the wrestlers relaxed and motivated and keeping them insulated from any negative thoughts. They were disciplined, dedicated and focused. Their confidence level was up. Someone like Mansi has conceded just two points in all her bouts, while Neha defeated her Japanese opponent 10-0,” said Shilpi, the wife of former World Championships bronze medallist Narsingh Yadav.

“Their resilience was something. Whenever anyone conceded a point, we asked her to be relaxed and fight back at the right time. Our girls had the stamina, so instead of being unnecessarily aggressive, they needed to focus and attack at the right time.

“Even when they were cutting weight prior to their bouts, we made sure that they should not feel it was a burden. They needed to be in a positive frame of mind.”

Fifteen-year-old Sainath Pardhi (51kg), fifth in the Asian U-15 championships, bounced back to take a bronze.

Ronak Dahiya (110kg), a Chhatrasal Stadium product like his father and international referee Jaibir, secured a bronze medal in 110kg Greco-Roman after taking a silver last year.

“Ronak trains in both freestyle and Greco-Roman and has medalled in both in the same National events. His competence in Greco Roman will help him improve his gripping and power. But he will switch to freestyle at the senior level as it is more popular in India,” said Jaibir.

Given India’s sole bronze medal by Aman Sehrawat in the 57kg freestyle category at the Paris Olympics and the performance of U-17 wrestlers in Amman, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) should adopt a proactive approach. It needs to support promising women wrestlers and focus more on men’s freestyle wrestling to enhance the country’s chances of winning medals in future Olympic Games.